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1880 
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 


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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 


















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GUIDE TO THE GARDEN 



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OF THE 


ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 


OF PHILADELPHIA, 

(FAIRMOUNT PARK,) 

SECOND EDITION , 

ACCORDING TO THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENT, 

1880. 


. , 'BY ARTHUR ERWIN BROWN, 

General Superintendent. 




ALLEN, LANE Si SCOTT, PRINTERS, PHILA. 

























The Zoological Society 


OF PHILADELPHIA 

Was incorporated in 1859. Ttie Garden was first opened to 
the public July 1st, 1874. 

It has four different classes of members, viz. :— 

1. Annual. —These pay five dollars upon their election, 
and five dollars for each year thereafter. 

2. Life Members. —These pay fifty dollars upon election, 
in lieu of all future dues. Annual Members may at any time 
become Life Members upon the payment of forty-five dollars 
additional. 

3. Honorary Members are those who, in consequence of 
liberality to the Society, or who, holding a distinguished 
position in science, are elected by the Board. 

4. Corresponding Members are those who are interested 
in the Society, living out of the city, and are of service to it 
abroad. 

Persons who wish to become members will please commu¬ 
nicate with the Secretary of the Society. 

All members are admitted to the Garden during the time 
it is open to the public, which is from 9 A. M. until sunset, 
every day in the week, including Sunday. 



PLAN 

OF THE 

PHILADELPHIA ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN 

1880 . 


A NORTHERN ENTRANCE. 

8 SOUTHERN ENTRANCE. 

C EXIT GATES. 

0 CARRIAGE SHEDS 
E RETIRING ROOMS FOR MEN. 

F RETIRING ROOMS FOR WOMEN. 
G’ SKATING HOUSE 
H DRINKING FOUNTAINS 


| CARNIVORA HOUSE. 

2 MONKEY HOUSE. 

3 PENN MANSION, OR SOLITUDE. 

4 BEAVER POND. 

5. BEAR PITS. 

6 EAGLE, HAWK AND OWL CAGE. 
7. ELEPHANT HOUSE. 

[SEAL PONDS 


10 WINTER HOUSE FOR DEER. &c. 
|| LAKE FOR WATER FOWL. 

12 RESTAURANT. 

13. MUSIC STAND. 

14 DEER PADDOCKS. 

15 STREAM FOR WATER FOWL 

16 BUFFALO, CAMELS AND ELK. 

17. WOLVES AND FOXES. 

18 CONSERVATORY 


D A PARTRIDGE PHOTO-LlTH PMIEA 


19. GOATS, SHEEP, OSTRICH &c. 

20. SNAKE HOUSE. 

21 AVIARY. 

22. PRAIRIE DOGS. 

23. PHOTOGRAPH STAND. 

24. UNIVERSAL SUN DIAL 
25 SODA FOUNTAINS. 

26. RABBIT WARREN. 

27. POLAR BEAR PIT 

28. SEAL TANK. 


Liranl Avonuo 






















































GUIDE TO THE GARDEN 


OF THE 



/) 


OF PHILADELPHIA, 

(FAIRMOUNT PARK,) 

SECOND EDITION , 

ACCORDING TO THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENT. 

1880. 



PRICE, FIFTEEN CEPTTS. 




Entered , according to act of Congress, in the year 1880, by 
ALLEN, LANE dr* SCOTT, 

In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 


QLln 


P^A3 

/V 8-0 







INTRODUCTION. 


To a large class of visitors, who desire to find in a zoolog¬ 
ical collection means of instruction as well as amusement, a 
brief statement of the meaning and the relative value of the 
groups into which the animal kingdom is divided by natural¬ 
ists will not be without interest. In order to arrive at a cor¬ 
rect understanding of these, it is necessary to look at the 
animal world, not as a mere mass of living forms bearing hap¬ 
hazard resemblances to each other, but as great family groups 
of beings, formed, more or less, on the same plan, varying, 
it is true, to a vast extent in its mode of expression, but all 
the forms of which are capable of being arranged around 
great centres, each of which presents a somewhat different 
combination of structural peculiarities. 

The first systematic arrangement of living forms was that 
of Linnaeus, and though the researches of later naturalists 
have at times classified them on other bases and in different 
ways, there is now a tendency to return, to a certain degree 
at least, towards the system of the great Swedish naturalist. 

The primary divisions now generally accepted are as fol¬ 
lows :— 

The Vertebrata —possessed of a backbone, as mammals, 
birds, reptiles, batrachians, and fishes. 

The Mollusca —soft-bodied, as oysters, cuttle-fishes, and 
snails. 

The Articulata —formed of rings, as worms, centipedes, 
insects, &c. 

The Coelenterata —as sea anemones and jelly-fishes. 

The Echinodermata —as star-fishes'and sea-cucumbers. 

The Protozoa —as sponges and infusoria—the lowest forms 
of animal life, many of them microscopic and bordering 
closely on the vegetable world. 

It is with the first division only that the collection in the 
Garden has to deal. The Vertebrates^—animals possessing a 
skeleton of bone or cartilage, enclosing cavities in which the 
soft parts of their organization are contained and protected 
from injury—are arranged in five classes , according to the 

(3) 



4 


nearness with which they approach to one of the five great 
types of structure which have been found to exist among 
them:— 

I. Mammalia —animals which suckle their young. 

II. Aves, or birds. 

III. Batrachia —as frogs, toads, and salamanders. 

IV. Reptilia —as turtles, lizards, and serpents. 

V. Pisces , or fishes. 

These classes are again broken up into orders , each posses¬ 
sing an association of structural characters which is common 
to all the individuals included in it, and in which they differ 
from all other individuals in their class. These orders have 
been differently constituted and arranged, according as differ¬ 
ent points have been made use of for their determination. 

They are again divided into smaller groups called families , 
which, possessing the characteristic mark of their order , yet 
depart in some minor consideration from its type—or, in 
other words, from that form which has been taken to show 
most clearly the peculiarity of the order. 

Families are again broken up into genera , which bear to 
them much the same relation as that which they, in turn, 
bear to orders. Thus—to illustrate with a familiar example— 
the lion, tiger, panther, &c., are all cats and belong to one 
genus— Felis; they are classified as follows :— 

Division Vertebrata —because they have a backbone or ver¬ 
tebral column. 

Class Mammalia —because they have organs peculiar to 
those animals which suckle their young. 

Order Carnivora —because their plan of structure is that 
possessed by mammals which live on flesh. 

Family Felidae —because, in addition to the above, they 
possess a common arrangement of teeth, claws, and other 
structural points, which none of the other carnivora share. 

Genus Felis —because certain minor modifications are un¬ 
like those existing in a few more individuals, which so far 
have agreed with them, but which now become another 
genus of the same family. 

But to go a step farther—the lion, tiger, and panther, 
though so far they have been precisely similar, are yet recog¬ 
nizable—there are still smaller points of difference ; they are, 
therefore, said to be different species , and a second name is 
added to the scientific designation of their genus; thus the 
Lion is Felis leo , the Tiger is Felis ligris, and the Panther is 
Felis concolor . 


5 


The value of species has been admirably expressed by 
Professor Huxley:—“Thus horses form a species, because 
the group of animals to which that name is applied is dis¬ 
tinguished from all others in the world by the following 
constantly associated characters:—They have—i. A verte¬ 
bral column ; 2. Mammae; 3. A placental embryo ; 4. Four 
legs; 5. A single well-developed toe on a foot provided with 
a hoof; 6. A bushy tail; and 7. Callosities on the inner side 
of both the fore and hind legs. The asses, again, form a dis¬ 
tinct species, because, with the same characters, as far as the 
fifth in the above list, all asses have tufted tails, and have cal¬ 
losities only on the inner side of the forelegs. If animals 
were discovered having all the general characters of the 
horse, but sometimes with callosities only on the forelegs, 
and more or less tufted tails, or animals having the general 
characters of the ass, but with more or less bushy tails, and 
sometimes with callosities on both pairs of legs, besides being 
intermediate in other respects, the two species would have to 
be merged into one. They could no longer be regarded as 
morphologically distinct species, for they would not be dis¬ 
tinctly definable one from the other .”—Westminster Review , 
April, i860. 


GUIDE TO THE GARDEN 


OF THE 

ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 

OF PHILADELPHIA. 


The visitor taking the route laid down on the accompany¬ 
ing plan of the Garden, is supposed to enter at the Girard 
avenue gate; those entering at the other end of the Garden 
can, however, pursue the same course by taking the path to 
the right around the lake (No. n), and following the route 
until they come to the Sun-dial (No. 24), when they should 
turn to the left and enter the Carnivora House, after which 
the route can be followed until they are brought back to the 
point from which they started. As many of the animals are 
shifted from one place to another at different seasons, they 
will not always be found at the location designated by the 
Guide; each cage, however, bears the name of the animal 
which it contains, and its description can readily be found by 
a reference to the index at the close of the book. 

No. 1.—THE CARNIVORA HOUSE. 

There would appear to be little in common between the 
domestic tabby, which is accustomed to lie purring before the 
fire, and the majestic lion, which the visitor sees with much 
pleasure is here separated from him by a solid framework of 
iron ; yet there is no difference between them so far as the 
essential points of their structure are concerned, and' none 
even in their habits, excepting such as are caused by the 
different circumstances under which they live. The one 
preys on deer and antelope, while the other lives on rats and 
mice; but they hunt for them and catch them in one and the 

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8 


same manner. They are the two extremes of the Felicia, or cat 
family, regarded in point of size. 

The true cats—composing the genus Fells —are externally 
distinguished from the other members of the family, or the 
lynxes, by their more slender form and by a much longer 
tail than is ever possessed by any of the latter genus. 

They are distributed throughout America, Asia, and Africa; 
one species alone being found in Europe. 

The Lion (Fells led) ranges all through Africa, from the 
Cape of Good Hope to the Mediterranean, and through a 
great part of southern Asia, but there, at least, in rapidly 
lessening numbers. 

In ancient times, we are told by historians, they were 
known in Greece, but civilization has long since driven them 
out of Europe. 



THE LION AND LIONESS. 

As with all animals whose wide range of distribution ex¬ 
poses them to many different climates and kinds of food, 



9 


under the action of which, with other conditions, they are apt 
to vary more or less, the lion of different parts differs much 
in appearance, chiefly in color and thickness of mane. These 
differences were formerly held to constitute distinct species, 
but as the variations are indefinite and do not involve the 
slightest change of structure, they are now looked on as 
being of no specific importance. 

“ Pompey ” and “Minnie,” the pair of full-grown lions 
now in the Garden, are fine specimens of the African race in 
the prime of life, with all its characters fully developed. 



T.HE TIGER. 


The Tiger (Felis tigris ), among the Carnivora, is the sole 
rival of the lion, in strength and ferocity. Its range is much 
more restricted, as it is never found outside of Asia, where its 
principal home is in Hindostan and the adjacent islands, 
though it is sparingly found toward Siberia on the north, and 
China on the north-east. It is very common in the marshy, 
wooded tract known as the Soonderbund, formed by the ex¬ 
tensive delta of the Ganges and Brahmapootra rivers. 
















































































IO 


There are two fine males in the collection, to the largest of 
which a somewhat tragic interest attaches, as shortly after he 
came into the possession of the Society, in May, 1876, he in¬ 
flicted injuries upon his mate, from the effects of which she 
shortly died. 

The male and female Tiger are similar in appearance, and 
have been beautifully adapted by nature for the purpose of 
stealing unobserved upon their prey; the tawny yellow of 
their skin, striped with vertical bars of black, blending so 
perfectly with the jungle of canes and bamboos, among which 
they live, that it is almost impossible to detect their presence 
until revealed by motion, when it is usually too late for the 
startled victim to escape. 

The Leopard has much the same distribution as the lion, 
and varies almost to the same extent. This building contains 
a pair of the Common Leopard (Felis pardus') of Africa and 
Asia. The male of this pair distinguished his arrival at Phila¬ 
delphia from Hamburg by breaking out of his cage and taking 
possession of the hold of the canal-boat in which he had been 
brought from New York. For three days he maintained an 
obstinate defense, but hunger finally got the better of him 
and he fell a victim to the wiles of his keeper. The barge 
being named “The Chesapeake,” the animal was at once 
called “Commodore Lawrence,” in honor of his gallant 
naval predecessor. 

The Javan Leopard (.Felis pardus javanensis ), sometimes 
called the Spotted Panther, is also represented in the col¬ 
lection by a male and female. In the next cage to these is a 
fine pair of Black Leopards. This is a rare variety in color 
of the Common Leopard, and is believed to exist only in 
Java. 

Among the members of the cat family now found in a wild 
state, the only one which seems to be susceptible of domesti¬ 
cation is the Cheetah (Felis jubata ), often known as the 
Hunting Leopard, which is found in India, south-western 
Asia, and Africa. It differs much in disposition from all of 
its kind, and so far surpasses them in intelligence and tracta- 
bility, that for many centuries it has been trained in the East 
for the purpose of the chase, the animal being blindfolded 
and led by a chain until a deer or antelope is started, when it 
is unhooded and loosed to run down the quarry. 



II 



THE COMMON LEOPARD. 

The Jaguar (Felis oik; a) is the largest of the cats of the 
New World, Baron Humboldt having described one which 
equaled the average tiger in size; it inhabits the hottest parts 
of the continent from South America into upper Mexico, 
sometimes even ranging into the United States,—the princi¬ 
pal home of the species being in the dense forests which 
stretch away from both banks of the Amazon. In appearance 
there is much similarity to the leopard,—the Jaguar having a 
shorter tail and a more broken appearance of the spots cover¬ 
ing the skin. 

Many instances are given by South American travelers of 
the strength and ferocity of the Jaguar; D’Azara, in particu¬ 
lar, relates how he once saw one drag off the body of a horse 
to a considerable distance, and then swim with it across a 
wide and deep river. 

The American Panther (Felis concolor ) is generally dis¬ 
tributed through North and South America from Canada 





12 


nearly to Cape Horn, though in the most settled portions 
of the former, civilization has generally driven it to the se¬ 
cluded parts of the mountains of the north and east, and the 
cane brakes of the south. 

They are found of several shades, from silvery gray to red¬ 
dish brown, and are all of one species, though known by the 
different names of Panther, Puma, Couguar, and Mountain 
Lion. The latter name was given to them by the early colo¬ 
nists of the country, probably for the reason that the Panther, 
having no mane and approaching in color to the lion, was 
taken to be a female of that species, which is also devoid of 
a mane. 

The Ocelot (Felis pardalis ) is a native of Mexico, Central 
and South America, and occasionally those parts of the United 
States bordering on Mexico. It is a beautiful animal, not 
much larger than the domestic cat. Like all the smaller mem¬ 
bers of the cat family, it climbs trees with great agility and 
lies in wait among the branches for its prey. Several other 
species of small cats range from Mexico southward through 
tropical America. 



THE SPOTTED HYAENA. 






i3 


The Spotted Hyaena (. Hyana crocuta ) and the Striped 
Hyaena (Hycena striata ) are members of the Family Hyanickz , 
consisting of themselves and the Brown Hyaena, of which 
the Society does not, as yet, possess a specimen. They are 
readily distinguished from the dogs, which they somewhat re¬ 
semble, by the excess of length in the fore over the hind 
limbs. Their molar teeth are unusually strong and the jaw 
muscles are very powerful, thus enabling them to crush with 
ease large bones, which they devour. 

The Striped Hyaena inhabits both Africa and India, and 
presents a marked appearance by reason of a mane or crest of 
hair, running the length of the spine, and which it has the 
power to raise at will, probably for the purpose of increasing 
its apparent bulk and giving to itself a more frightful appear¬ 
ance, thereby deterring from an attack those enemies which 
would otherwise overcome and destroy it. It is more cow¬ 
ardly in disposition and solitary in habit than the Spotted 
Hyaena, which is confined to the southern part of Africa. 

A great deal is currently believed of the Hyaena which is 
without doubt much exaggerated; for instance, its reputation 
of being a persistent and incorrigible ghoul, which has passed 
so generally into belief that skulls and tombstones are usually 
introduced as background in portraits of the unfortunate ani¬ 
mal—the truth being that the Hyaena seems to be closely on 
a par with the dogs and wolves in the matter of diet, prefer¬ 
ring its bones fresh, and eating carrion only when it is much 
more convenient to get at. 

The Viverridce, is a large family of carnivorous mammals of 
small size, all resembling more or less the Civets in appear¬ 
ance and habits; they are of active and graceful movements, 
many of them living much among trees; all feeding upon 
smaller quadrupeds, birds, eggs, and reptiles. They chiefly 
inhabit Africa and southern Asia, one species each being found 
in Europe and America. 

Among them are the Indian Civet ( Viverricula indica), 
the Palm Cat ( Paradoxurus musanga ), the Common Para- 
doxure (. Paradoxurus typus ), the Gray Ichneumon (. Her - 
pestes griseus) from India and the surrounding islands, the 
Dusty Ichneumon ( Herpestes pulverulentus ) from South Af¬ 
rica, and the beautiful Civet Cat or Ring-tailed Bassaris 
( Bassaris astuta ) of Texas and Mexico. It is probable that 
the latter animal possesses affinities which ally it more closely 


14 


with the coatis and raccoons than with the Viverridce, among 
which it has heretofore been classed. 

The Coati ( Nasua nasica ) will be readily recognized by its 
long, pointed snout. There are two varieties, the Red and 
the Brown Coati—though they are probably of one species— 
native to Mexico, Central and upper South America. It is 
worthy of note that the first wild Coati ever found within the 
limits of the United States was captured in 1877, near Fort 
Brown, Texas, by Dr. Merrill, U. S. A. This species is 
allied by many points of structure to the bears and raccoons, 
and has been placed in the same family as the latter. 

The Bornean Sun Bear ( Helarctos euryspilus ) and the 
Himalayan Bear ( Ursns tibeianus) belong to a group of the 
Ursidce known as sun bears, from their favorite habit of bask¬ 
ing in the sun. They are in the same cage, but may be read¬ 
ily recognized by the mane and larger size of the Himalayan 
Bear and also by the V-shaped spot on the breast, which is 
white in this and orange in the Bornean bear. 

The Rodentia is a very large order, characterized by the ab¬ 
sence of canine teeth and the development of the incisors to 
so great a degree that they resemble chisels and are used by 
the animal for the purpose of cutting wood and other hard 
substances, from which is derived their name— Rodentia or 
gnawers. Representatives of this order are found all over the 
world, North America having a large proportion of the whole 
number of species. During the winter a number of small 
cages are set in the wings of this building, which in warm 
weather are scattered around the grounds, the occupants of 
these belong mostly to this order; among them are generally 
the Golden Agouti ( Dasyprocta aguti); the Olive Agouti 
or Acouchy ( Dasyprocta acouchy ) from South America and 
the West Indies; the Paca or Spotted Cavy (Calogenys paca), 
and Fournier’s Capromys ( Capromyspi borides). 

The African Porcupine (. Hystrix cristata ), the Javan 
Porcupine ( Hystrix javanica ), the White-haired Porcupine 
(. Erethizon dorsatus ), and the Yellow-haired Porcupine 
(.Erethizon dorsatus epixanthus') —the two last from North 
America—are all quiet, retiring Rodents, living on roots and 
vegetables or the bark of trees. The spines which take, 
in part, the place of hair in the Porcupine, are loosely rooted 


15 


in the skin and readily come off in the mouths of such ani¬ 
mals as may attack them, thus forming a terrible means of 
defense to the animal. The ease with which these spines 
are detached has, without doubt, given rise to the fable that 
the Porcupine was able to shoot forth its quills, like arrows, 
against its foes. 

The Flying Squirrel (Pteromys volucella ) is a pretty little 
Rodent found throughout the United States, east of the Mis¬ 
souri river. Its aerial progression is merely a leap, prolonged 
by means of a fold of skin stretching between the fore and 
hind limbs on each side, which expands and bears the animal 
up for a short distance, after the manner of a kite. 

The Vulpine Phalanger (Phalangista vulpina) and the 
Yellow-bellied Phalanger (.Belideus flaviventer ) are small, 
vegetable-eating marsupials (see page 43) from Australia; 



the common cassowary, 










i6 


they live almost entirely among the trees and are strictly 
nocturnal, being found in the day time with heads bent down 
and noses stowed away between their forefeet. 

The Cassowary is also kept in this building during the 
winter, in summer finding quarters in a cage on the walk 
toward the Monkey House. There are some half dozen 
species of the genus Casuarius, mainly differing in the shape 
of the helmet on the head and the number and arrangement 
of the wattles hanging from the neck; all are natives of the 
islands of the Malayan Archipelago. They belong to the 
order of struthious birds, with the ostrich, rhea, emu, and 
apteryx, all of which are characterized by great development 
of the lower limbs at the expense of their powers of flight. 

The Common Cassowary {Casuarius galeatus) is from the 
island of Ceram, in the Indian Ocean. The feathers of this 
bird are of a peculiarly filamentous or hair-like character, en¬ 
tirely wanting in the webs which spring from the sides of the 
shaft in ordinary feathers. It is a bird of great power and 
endurance, rivaling even the ostrich in those qualities as well 
as in the famous powers of digestion which are so notorious 
in the latter bird. 

Other members of the same family are the Rhea {Rhea 
americana) from the plains of tropical America, and the 
Emu {Dromaus novce-hollandice) of Australia, the latter bird 
reaching nearly the proportions of the ostrich. 


No. 2.— THE MONKEY HOUSE. 

The present house for monkeys has been found too small 
and badly ventilated for the proper accommodation of the 
animals, and the Society has in contemplation the erection of 
a new and suitable building when circumstances will warrant 
its completion. 

The monkeys of the Old World, or of Africa, Asia, and the 
Malayan Islands, have been arranged by naturalists in one 
great group called Catarrhini , while those of the New World 
constitute another group known as Plaiyrrhini . They are 
very well marked in zoological characters, the most constant 
of which is that from which they derive their name. In the 
Catarrhini the septum, or cartilage dividing the nose, is nar- 





rower at the bottom than at the top, so that the nostrils con¬ 
verge towards the bottom, while in the Platyrrhini the cartil¬ 
age is of the same breadth throughout and the nostrils are 
therefore parallel. The dentition of the first group is the 
same as that of man, being eight incisors, four canines, and 
twenty molars. 


The monkeys are classed in the same order— Primates —as 
man, the correspondence in mere structure being very close, 
amounting, in some of the higher groups, to modifications 
only of form. All the man-like or Anthropoid Apes—the 
Gorilla and Chimpanzee of Africa, and the Orang and Gib¬ 
bons of India—belong to the first division. These apes can 













i8 


be captured only when young, and as they are difficult to ac¬ 
climate, they are by no means common in menageries. 

The Chimpanzee ( Troglodytes niger) inhabits the west coast 
of Africa near the Equator, in the region drained by the 
Gaboon river; its exact range, north, south, and inland, is not 
satisfactorily determined, but it is probably confined to a lim¬ 
ited region in company with its larger relative, the Gorilla. 

Divesting the Chimpanzee of the many doubtful, if not 
fabulous qualities with which it has been endowed by imagi¬ 
native travelers, it remains a huge ape, attaining in the adult 
male a height of nearly five feet, devoid of a tail, possessed of 
a very considerable degree of intelligence, and having the 
ability to walk nearly erect, supporting itself by occasionally 
touching its knuckles to the ground or some upright means of 
support. 

They live together in small bands of half a dozen and build 
platforms among the branches, out of boughs and leaves, on 
which they sleep; their diet is chiefly frugivorous, and they 
are exceedingly mild in disposition, readily becoming friendly 
and seeking the society of man when placed in confinement. 

These apes are looked on by the natives of their country 
as being degenerate members of their own tribe. The native 
name, “Engeco,” means “hold your tongue,” and evidently 
had its origin in the common belief that they refuse to speak 
purely from laziness, and in the fear that if their possession of 
the faculty should be discovered, they would be set to work 
with the more strictly bipedal inhabitants of the same region. 

The Orang-utan (Simia satyrus ) is indigenous only to 
Borneo and Sumatra. They never attain the height of the 
chimpanzee, but are of heavier build and greater in extent of 
arm. Mr. Wallace gives us the maximum height out of seven¬ 
teen specimens, four feet and two inches from crown to heel, 
with a distance across the outstretched arms of seven feet 
eight inches. 

They are of a sluggish and cautious disposition, and rarely 
come down from the trees. Several travelers have stated that 
when the weather becomes cold or rainy, the Orang wraps 
itself in large leaves, by way of protection. It is, curious to 
observe that this habit is carried into captivity, for if a blan¬ 
ket is left in the cage, the animal will at once envelop itself 
so completely that nothing can be seen of it but its bright 
eyes peering out from under the folds. 

The Dyaks of Borneo call the Orang by several names, the 


19 


most common being “Mias.” The old males, to whom a 
huge tuberosity, which grows out on each cheek, together with 
a long red beard which covers the chin and throat, gives a 
most hideous appearance, are known as “ Mias-pappan.” 

The specimens of all these larger apes, which are usually 
exhibited in zoological collections, are young, ranging from 
three to six or eight years old. Their development is slow, 
as it is not supposed that they reach maturity until about fif¬ 
teen years of age. 

Among the monkeys of the Old World which are usually to 
be found in the collection, is the Entellus or Sacred Mon¬ 
key (Semnopithecus entellus ) of India. This monkey is held 
in high respect by the human natives of its country, who call 
it “ Hanuman,” after one of their deities, and allow it the priv¬ 
ilege of stealing, unmolested, pretty much anything to which 
it takes a fancy—a privilege which it soons learns to avail 
itself of on every occasion. Its life is held sacred, and it is a 
dangerous thing for a foreigner to incur the displeasure of the 
people by killing one. 



GROUP OF MONKEYS. 
























































































20 


The Vervet Monkey ( Cercopithecus lalandii ), the Green 
Monkey ( Cercopithecus callitrichus ), the Pat as or Red Mon¬ 
key ( Cercopithecus ruber), the Lesser White-nosed Monkey 
{Cercopithecuspetaurista), the Mozambique Monkey ( Cerco¬ 
pithecus rufo-viridis ), the beautiful Diana Monkey {Cercopith¬ 
ecus diana ), and the Mangabey {Cercocebus fuliginosus), are 
all natives of south and west Africa. 

The Macaques form a large genus of monkeys, some of 
them of large and powerful build, and, for the most part, of 
savage and treacherous dispositions. They are all natives of 
Asia and the adjacent islands. Among them are the Common 
Macaque {Macacus cynomolgus), the Pig-tailed Macaque 
{Macacus nemestrinus), the Rhesus Monkey {Macacus ery- 
thrceus), the Toque {Macacus pileatus ), the Bonnet Ma¬ 
caque {Macacus radiatus), the Moor Macaque {Macacus 
maurus ), and the Ashy-black MAcaque {Macacus ocreatus). 

The Black Ape ( Cynopithecus niger ), from the Philippine 
Islands, is related to the last genus. 

The genus Cynocephalus, or Dog-headed Monkeys, form the 
group known as Baboons, among which are some of the largest 
and most fierce of the order. The Chacma {Cynocephalus 
porcarius), the Guinea Baboon {Cynocephalus sphinx ), the 
Mandrill {Cynocephalus mormon ), the Drill {Cynocephalus 
leucophceus ), and the Anubis Baboon {Cynocephalus anubis ), 
are natives of Africa. They can all be recognized by their 
long, dog-like noses, in some cases projecting beyond the 
lips. 

Although these monkeys are coarse and brutal in their be¬ 
havior towards man, they are capable of a high degree of at¬ 
tachment among themselves. 

A remarkable instance of this is given by Brehm, an African 
traveler of undoubted veracity, who once saw a troop of Ba¬ 
boons crossing a valley,—while so doing they were attacked 
by his dogs, and fled up the hills, leaving behind one young 
one, which, unable to run away, had climbed a rock in the 
middle of the valley. Those on the hillside deliberated for 
a time, and finally a large male returned to the spot, drove 
off the dogs, picked up the young one, and retreated with it 
in safety. 

The American monkeys differ in many respects from the 
preceding group; in dentition, which in the Cebidce , includ¬ 
ing all but the Marmosets, has one pre-molar tooth added on 


21 


each side of the jaw; in the absence of a thumb in almost 
all the members of one large genus (Ateles); in the entire 
absence of the cheek-pouches and the callosities on the 
haunches, which are so conspicuous in most of the Catarrhini; 
and in the presence of a highly prehensile tail in the individ¬ 
uals of all the leading genera. None of them attain the size 
of the largest of the first group, and they are generally more 
tractable in disposition. 

The Ateles or Spider Monkeys are characterized by the 
absence of a thumb, although in several species it is present 
in a rudimentary condition; they have a prehensile tail, 
lined on the tip with a very sensitive skin, which answers the 
purpose of a hand in suspending themselves from the branches 
of the trees among which they altogether live. They are 
very delicate, and do not long withstand the severities of our 
climate. 

The Black Spider Monkey ( Ateles ater), the Marimonda 
(Ateles belzebutli ), and the BLAck-HANDED Spider Monkey 
(Ateles melanochir ), are usually to be seen here. A fine speci¬ 
men of the latter from Central America, “Jerry,” passes much 
of his time during the summer at large among the trees in the 
neighborhood of the Monkey House, and creates much amuse¬ 
ment by his antics; he seems never disposed to take advantage 
of his freedom to run away, and manifests a most devoted at¬ 
tachment to his keeper. 

The Brown Capucin ( Cebus fatuellus ), the Weeper Ca- 
pucin ( Cebus capucinus ), and the White-throated Capucin 
( Cebus hypoleucus ), are all small monkeys of the kind usually 
trained for circus performances and organ-grinders. These, 
with the Squirrel Monkey (Saimaris sciurea), all belong to 
the family Cebidce. 

The Common Marmoset (. Hapale jacchus ), the Black¬ 
eared Marmoset (. Hapale pencil lata), and the Pinche (Mi¬ 
das cedipus), are small and beautiful monkeys from the hottest 
parts of tropical America. 

A curious genus of small -monkeys of nocturnal habits is 
found in the interior of South America. They are very gen¬ 
tle and timid in disposition, and pass most of the day in sleep. 
The three-banded Douroucouli (Ny c tipi the cus trivirgaius) is 
the most common of these monkeys. 





22 


The monkeys of the New World range from about fifteen 
degrees north to forty degrees south latitude; the most north* 
ern point which they reach in the eastern hemisphere being 
in Tunis, about thirty-eight degrees north latitude. 

A very considerable group of animals of curious organiza¬ 
tion, many of whose forms are closely allied to the monkey, 
while others reach off towards the lower types of animals, is 
known as the Lejnuridce —Lemurs or Half-apes. They are all 
nocturnal, live in trees, and feed on fruits, insects, small birds, 
and quadrupeds. They are found in south-eastern Asia, the 
southern part of Africa, and the island of Madagascar, which 
contains a large proportion of the whole number of species. 

The specimen in the collection—the Grand Galago (Galago 
crassicaudata ) is from Mozambique. 

Leaving the Monkey House, the visitor passes the old man¬ 
sion, “Solitude,” erected in 1785 by John Penn, a descend¬ 
ant of the founder of the Commonwealth, and now occupied 
by the offices of the Society—and descending a flight of steps 
turns to the left by 

No. 4 —THE BEAVER POND. 

The identity of the Beaver of North America with that of 
Europe has been for many years a subject of discussion among 
naturalists, and by many their specific distinction is considered 
as assured. Recent researches, however, embracing the com¬ 
parison of a large number of skulls, place beyond dispute the 
fact that the cranial characters, which were taken to warrant 
the separation of the two forms, are subject to so great an 
amount of variation in different individuals that they can not 
be considered as binding. It seems proper, therefore, that 
the American form should be looked on merely as a variety of 
that from the Old World. 

The American Beaver {Castorfiber canadensis') has been 
so valuable in times past to commerce, that a, considerable 
amount of interest has been felt in the organization of their 
villages, which is said to manifest a degree of system al¬ 
most beyond anything else to be found among the lower 
animals* 

The Beaver Pond at the Garden affords, perhaps, as good 


23 


an opportunity as is possible, in confinement, of watching the 
habits of these animals,—the rough, dome-shaped structure of 
mud and sticks on the island being the far-famed Beaver hut, 
built by these animals themselves out of the natural materials. 
In a state of nature these huts are generally built on a small 
stream where the Beaver have constructed a dam, deepening 
the water sufficiently to keep the water from freezing to the 
bottom, so that they can get out under the ice during the win¬ 
ter. Most of their work is done during the night, but towards 
the hour in the afternoon when they are accustomed to be fed 
they may often be seen swimming about the pond and disap¬ 
pearing with a flap of the tail as they get within diving dis¬ 
tance of the entrance to the hut. 

They have done very well in their present quarters, and 
have bred there several times. Their food is purely vegetable, 
consisting mostly of the bark of trees and the roots of aquatic 
plants. They formerly ranged over the whole of North Amer¬ 
ica, but have long since been exterminated in the Southern, 
and in great part in the Middle and Eastern States. 


No. 5.—THE BEAR PITS. 

But three well-marked species of bears are believed to exist 
in North America—the Grizzly Bear ( Ursus horribilis ) ; the 
Black Bear (Ursus americanus'), with its constant variety 
{cinnamomeus) ; and the Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus )— 
though the variations of both the Grizzly and the Common 
Bear have given rise from time to time to supposed new species. 
The Grizzly ranges from the Yellowstone Valley and the upper 
Missouri to California, and south-west into Mexico,—those 
from the western slope of the Rocky Mountains being some¬ 
what darker in color and reaching a larger size than those to 
the eastward. 

The Black Bear is found almost all over the country, to¬ 
gether with what is called the Brown Bear, which is merely an 
ill-defined variety of the former species,—the black of the 
hair, in some individuals, turning to brown shortly after the 
1 yearly change of coat. The true Brown Bear is the Ursus 
arctos of northern Europe and Asia—an animal which pre¬ 
sents many points of likeness, and is perhaps identical with 
our Grizzly. The Cinnamon Bear is confined to the western 
parts of the United States. 




26 


The Common Raccoon ( Procyon lotor ). A number of 
these amusing little animals are in a cage close by the condor. 
They resemble in diet, and in many points of structure, the 
bears, and have been placed by some systematists as a sub¬ 
family of the group. They are generally classed, however, 
as a separate family, Procyonidce , of carnivores. Their range is 
almost universal through the United States, from the latitude 
of Massachusetts southward. They are subject to consider¬ 
able variation in color—albinos being not uncommon. One 
specimen in the collection, from Alabama, is of an orange- 
yellow, shading into a deeper hue on those parts where the 
animal is normally black. They are easily tamed, and make 
playful pets. One which became very tame in the Garden was 
noticeable for the dexterity with which it made use of its 
paws—its first act on mounting into any person’s lap being to 
explore all his pockets, bringing to light and carefully examin¬ 
ing everything which they contained. 


No. 28.—THE SEAL TANK. 

The seals are a large family of carnivorous mammals, living 
mainly in the water, but at stated periods during the year 
leaving their natural element and remaining for several 
months above the water line. The Society has exhibited sev¬ 
eral species of these interesting animals. 

The Common Seal (. Phoca vitulina ) is found in all the seas 
encircling northern Europe, Asia, and America, rarely being 
found on our coast below Maine. It may be taken as a fair 
type of the Phocidce , or Earless Seals, of which it is about the 
smallest. Those in the collection are from Nova Scotia, and 
were brought to the Garden when only a few weeks old. 
Like all the seals, they live on fish, which, in a state of nature, 
they catch for themselves with great address. (For other 
members of the seal family, see page 39.) 

Along the walk from the Seal Tank to the Eagle Aviary are 
a number of cages containing birds and small mammals. 

The American Otter (. Lutra canadensis ) has a general 
range throughout North America, though to a less extent 
and in fewer numbers than formerly, owing to the great de¬ 
mand for the beautiful fur obtained from them. Like their 
relative, the Brown Mink ( Putorius vison ), they are largely 



2 7 


aquatic in habit and live chiefly upon fish, which they catch 
with ease and devour in incalculable numbers. They are 
lively, sportive animals, and the visitor will find much amuse¬ 
ment in watching their gambols in the tank set apart for them. 

In a wild state they have a curious means of diversion, 
which is thus described by Godman :—“ Their favorite sport 
is sliding, and for this purpose in winter the highest ridge of 
snow is selected, to the top of which the Otters scramble, 
where, lying on the belly with the fore-feet bent backwards, 
they give themselves an impulse with the hind legs and swiftly 
glide headforemost down the declivity, sometimes for the dis¬ 
tance of twenty yards. This sport they continue apparently 
with the keenest enjoyment, until fatigue or hunger induces 
them to desist.” A pair of otter brought to the Garden from 
Newfoundland, were quite tame and were allowed the run of 
the hold of the schooner. During the trip, a quantity of 
snow which fell on the decks was shoveled through the hatch¬ 
way, when, much to the amusement of the crew, the animals 
began piling it up and packing it until they had built a slide, 
on which they disported themselves in the manner described. 

The Muskrat ( Fiber zibethicus) of North America, which 
by its subterranean galleries causes so much damage to the 
banks of canals and other artificial bodies of water, will be 
found here. Its habits are somewhat similar to those of the 
beaver. 

The Common Crow ( Corvus americanus ) and the Raven 
( Corvus carnivorus ) are the leading American members of the 
family Corvidce, represented in England by the magpie. 

The fine pair of mysterious-looking Ravens in one of the 
cages on this walk were the gift of William Wister, Esq., and 
formed the nucleus of the collection. As they are very long- 
lived, it is probable that they will see greater changes in their 
surroundings than they have yet done. They are found 
throughout North America, although east of the Mississippi 
they have become rare. 

The Fisher, or Pennant’s Marten (. Mustelapennantii ), 
affords an example of a very prevalent and deplorable confu¬ 
sion among the vernacular names of animals, which is the 
cause of most erroneous ideas with regard to the habits of 
many species. There is no evidence whatever that this ani¬ 
mal catches fish, or that it .is particularly fond of a fish diet; 



THE BEAR PITS. 

















































































































































































25 


The Ursidce , or Bears, all walk on the sole of the foot, or 
are what is termed plantigrade , and with the exception of the 
Grizzly, climb trees with great facility. The diet is much 
mixed, being indiscriminately animal or vegetable. 

They are distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere 
—but one true bear having yet been found south of the 
equator. 

The Common Opossum (. Didelphys virginiand) ranges east 
of the Missouri river, from about the latitude of lower Mas¬ 
sachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico, and with its congener ( Di - 
delphys californicd ), which replaces it west of those limits, 
represents in North America the order of marsupials. (See 
page 43.) The opossums belong to the carnivorous branch 
of the order, although their diet is very varied, consisting of 
small birds, mammals, reptiles, and eggs, as well as of fruits, 
buds, and grain. 

They live generally in the hollow of a tree, where the 
female produces as many as fifteen young at a time, breeding 
several times in the course of a year. The characteristic 
pouch of the order is well developed in these animals. 

They have a very prehensile tail, and are also distinguished 
by the peculiarity of their dentition, which consists of ten 
incisors, two canines, and fourteen molars in the upper, and 
the same, with two incisors less, in the lower, jaw, or fifty 
teeth in all. 

A number of Opossums are found in South America, more 
or less resembling this species. 

The Condor {Sarcorhamphus gryphus) is the largest of the 
Vultures, rivaling and even exceeding in size the Bearded 
Vulture or Lammergeyer of the Alps. 

They do not build nests, but commonly live in pairs on the 
bare rock, high up among the lofty peaks of the Andes, from 
which they soar to a height almost beyond the range of human 
vision, plunging down only when their keen sight discovers 
the carcass of some dead animal on the plains below. They 
live mostly on carrion, but when pressed by hunger, it is said 
that several of them will sometimes band together, to attack a 
young calf or a disabled animal out of the herd, and with 
blows of their powerful beaks and claws destroy it. The 
sexes may be distinguished by a short ruff of soft feathers, 
which invests the neck of the adult male. 


28 


yet its most common name conveys the impression that these 
are its most noticeable habits. It belongs to the large family 
Mustelidce , comprising the otters, weasels, skunks, &c.,—all 
of which are carnivores of small or medium size, mainly living 
on land, though several of them, as the mink and otter, are 
essentially aquatic in their habits. 


No. 6.—THE EAGLE AVIARY. 

This building is divided into three compartments, contain¬ 
ing owls, eagles, hawks, and vultures,—a number of these 
being also scattered around the neighborhood in small cages. 
Among them are generally to be found the following :— 

The Great Horned Owl (. Bubo virginianus ), North 
America. 

The Screech Owl (Scops asio), North America. 

The Barred Owl (Syrnium nebulosuni ), North America. 

The Short-eared Owl (Brachyotus palustris ), North 
America, Europe, and Asia. 

The Snowy Owl (Nyctea nivea), Arctic regions. 

The Barn Owl (Strix flammea americana ), United States. 

The Javan Fish Owl (Ketupa javanensis'), Java. 

The Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) , America. 

The Black Vulture (Cathartes atratus ), Southern United 
States. 

The King Vulture (Gryparchus papa ), South America. 

The Cinereous Vulture (Vultur cinereus), Southern Eu¬ 
rope and Africa. 

The Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus ), Southern Europe 
and Africa. 

The Caracara Buzzard (Polyborus tharus auduboni '), 
Southern United States. 

The Red-tailed Buzzard' (Buteo borealis), North America. 

The Red-shouldered Buzzard (Buteo lineatus), North 
America. 

The Rough-legged Buzzard (Archibuteo lagopus sancti- 
johannis ), North America. 

The Sparrow Hawk (Falco sparverius) , North America. 

Lanier’s Falcon (Falco lanarius poly arms'), Western 
United States. 

The Pigeon Hawk (Accipiterftiscus ), North America. 

Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperi ), North America. 




29 


The Brahminy Kite ( Haliastur intermedins), India. 

The White Goshawk (Astur novce-hollandice ) Australia. 

The Spotted Eagle ( Aquila ncevia), Europe and Asia. 

Golden Eagle ( Aquila chryscetos ), North America. 

The Bald Eagle (. Haliaetus leucocephalus ), North America. 

All the above belong to the order JRaptores , or birds of 
prey, consisting of the owls or nocturnal birds of prey 
\Strigidce); the eagles, hawks, &c., or diurnal birds of prey 
(.Falconida ) ; and the vultures ( Vulturidce ). 

The Owls are a large family, mainly of nocturnal habits, 
their eyes being adapted in structure to see in the dark, and 
the soft, downy plumage with which they are generally 
clothed, enabling them to steal with noiseless flight upon the 
small birds, mammals, and reptiles which form their food. 

They range generally throughout the world, differing some¬ 
what in habit, but mostly in size. 

The American Barn Owl is one of the most curious of the 
group. It abounds in the Southern States, and is frequently 
found as far north as New Jersey. 

The large White or Snowy Owl is common to the more 
northern parts of both hemispheres. It moves somewhat 
south in winter, rarely getting below the latitude of New 
York. 

The coloration of the owls is generally indistinct, owing to 
the downy nature of their plumage, and is subject to an infi¬ 
nite amount of variation. 

A large number of American species belong to the family 
Falconidce. 

The Buzzards proper are a group of hawks, generally of 
large size and rather heavy flight. The Eagles are closely 
associated with this division. The Golden Eagle and the 
Bald Eagle are occasionally seen in all parts of the country, 
though, they are now somewhat rare along the Atlantic coast, 
and for a long distance into the interior. They are the only 
eagles properly belonging to the North American fauna, 
although as the Bald Eagle does not receive its white head 
and tail until its third year, its different stages of plumage 
have given rise to several vernacular names by which it is 
known. 

Dr. Elliott Coues sums up the distribution and character of 
this species in his “ Key to North American Birds” after the 
following descriptive manner :— 



30 


“ North America, common ; piscivorous; a piratical parasite 
of the Osprey; otherwise notorious as the Emblem of the 
Republic.” Certainly, on watching its filthy habits, its 
sneaking ways, and its thievish expression, one is not dis¬ 
posed to be proud of his “ Bird of Freedom.” 

The Falcons, Harriers, Kites, and Goshawks are small 
hawks of rapid and vigorous flight and daring dispositions. 
They are found all over the world. The Falcons are readily 
distinguished by the presence of a notch—called the tooth—in 
the upper mandible. 

The specimen of the Duck Hawk {Falco communis ) of 
North America, in one of the small cages, flew on board of 
the steamship “Pennsylvania” when three days out from the 
port of Philadelphia, and was added to the collection by the 
kindness of Captain Harris. 

The Vultures are represented in North America by three 
species, of which the Society possesses two—the Turkey Vul¬ 
ture, being common to all North America, and the Black 
Vulture, which is mainly confined to the south Atlantic and 
Gulf States, where they perform the duties of useful scavengers 
in the streets of even the large cities. 

The Caracara Buzzard belongs to a small group of hawks 
approaching somewhat in habit to the vultures. They range 
from South and Central America into the southern parts of 
the United States. 

A strange bird, strictly belonging to this group, though 
bearing a resemblance in length of leg to the cranes and storks, 
is the Secretary Vulture (Gypogeranus serpentarius) of South 
Africa. Its name is derived from a tuft of feathers projecting 
backwards from each side of the head, and resembling the 
quill pen which clerks or secretaries frequently carry behind 
their ears. It is also known as “serpent-eater,” from its 
habit of waging destructive war on the serpents which abound 
in its native country. It is a difficult bird to keep in cap¬ 
tivity, its bones seeming to be very brittle—a slight blow or 
even a misstep being sometimes sufficient to break a leg. 


No. 12.—THE RESTAURANT. 

The Restaurant is on the right of the prescribed route, after 
leaving the Eagle Aviary, and offers to the hungry visitor 
ample facilities for supplying his necessities. 





3i 


Close by will also be found the stand for Donkeys, and the 
elevated platform, from which during the summer months the 
elephant “Jennie’* starts to carry passengers around the lake. 


No. 7.—THE ELEPHANT HOUSE. 

This building was completed in 1875, and cost about 
$38,000. It is one hundred and ninety-five feet long, and 
affords ample accommodation for many of the larger animals. 

It is the intention of the Society, at some future day, to en¬ 
close the grass-plot at the rear of this building with a heavy 
fence, and turn it into paddocks for the use of the Elephants 
and the Rhinoceros. 

A large proportion of the animals in this building belong 
to the order Ungulata , or hoofed animals, comprising all in 
which the nail grows around the ends of the extremities and 
envelops them in a horny sheath known as the hoof. Some 
of these have one or three toes developed, while another 
group has two or four toes equally complete, the others being 
rudimentary. For purposes of convenience, therefore, the 
existing ungulates have been classed into two sub-orders, the 
Perissodactyla, or odd-toed, as the horse, rhinoceros, and 
tapir, and the Artiodactyla , or even-toed, comprising all the 
remaining hoofed animals, as deer, oxen, swine, &c. They 
are all vegetable eaters, and are found in all but the Australian 
region. 

The Wild Boar {Sus scrofa ) of Europe, Asia, and Africa, 
the Javan Swine ( Sus vittatus ), and the ^Ethiopian Wart 
Hog (. Phacochcerus cethiopicus ), belong to the family Suidce , or 
Swine. The latter remarkable-looking animal from Africa has 
several fleshy protuberances on the face, looking almost like 
horns. It is believed, from the observations of Mr. A. D. 
Bartlett, at the London Zoological Garden, that these warts 
have been developed by reason of their serving to protect the 
eyes from the upward strokes of the tusks in the desperate 
battles which the males wage against each other. 

The Peccaries are not true swine, but they do not depart 
widely enough to be entirely separated from the group. The 
Collared Peccary ( Dicoiyles torquatus ) ranges from the 
south-western United States into South America, and the 














































































































































































































































































































































































33 



THE INDIAN ELEPHANT. 

Several spqcies of zebras and quaggas are found in Africa, 
and also of wild asses in south-western Asia. The most 


White-Lipped Peccary (Dicotyles labiatus ) somewhat more 
southern in distribution, and confined to South America. 
They are savage little animals, and, as they herd together in 
considerable numbers, they are regarded as dangerous enemies 
by both man and beast. They are not difficult to domesticate 
when taken young, but the presence of a pair of dorsal glands, 
secreting an unpleasant fluid, which is apt to taint the meat 
after death, greatly lessens their value to man. 

















34 


beautiful of all these, in pattern and shade of coloration, is 
Burchell’s Zebra (.Equus burchelli ), which ranges in large 
herds over the plains north of the Orange river, in Africa. 
It is a curious fact that some horses, especially those of a 
dun color, have indications of the spinal stripe and those on 
the inside of the legs, which are common among the zebras, 
and which resemblance is held to indicate the relationship of 
the horse of the present epoch to some such antecedent form. 
A mouse-dun colored work-horse recently belonging to the 
Society had these stripes plainly marked. 

The zebras are domesticated and tamed to some extent by 
the Boers, or farmers of South Africa. 

The enormous animals which form the family called Pio- 
boscidea , from the peculiar elongation of their nose into a 
proboscis or trunk, are found at the present time in the 
warmer parts of Asia, in the islands of Borneo, Sumatra, and 
Ceylon, and also in central and southern Africa. 

There are two species, differing very appreciably,—the 
Indian Elephant (. Elephas indicus ) has a concave forehead, 
comparatively small ears, and has four nails developed on the 
hind feet, while the African Elephant (.Elephas africanus ) 
has a rounder forehead, much larger ears, and has three nails 
on the hind foot instead of four. The incisor teeth, or tusks, 
as they are called, grow to an enormous size, but are rarely 
possessed by the female Indian Elephant. 

The large one in this building is a female from India, and 
is not quite fully grown. The two small ones, “ Dom 
Pedro” and “Empress,” are both Indian, and were placed in 
the Garden in December, 1876, when they were respectively 
about four and five years old. 

The elephant is in reality a much smaller animal than is 
commonly supposed, careful measurements of large numbers, 
in India, showing that they average about nine feet in height 
at the shoulder, and rarely exceed ten. The ordinary life of 
the elephant is supposed to be about a hundred years, although 
in special cases they undoubtedly live much longer. 

It is given, on the authority of Sir Emerson Tennent, that 
the British, after their capture of the Island of Ceylon, in 
1799, h a d i n their service an elephant which was proved by 
the records to have served the Dutch during the whole term 
of their occupancy,—something like a hundred and forty 
years. 


35 



THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT. 


The elephant lives wholly on vegetable diet. 

The Indian Rhinoceros (.Rhinoceros unicornis ). There 
are several species of rhinoceros found in Africa and Asia, 
the distribution of the animal being almost identical with 
that of the elephant. Almost all the species, with the ex¬ 
ception of this and the Javan Rhinoceros, have two horns, 
one immediately behind the other. In the specimen in the 
Garden, only the stump of the horn is visible, as “Pete,” 
being of a restless disposition, is inclined to rub his head 
against the wall of his cage, and so wears off his horn as fast 
as it grows out. 

The thick hide of the rhinoceros renders him almost in¬ 
vulnerable to the attack of other animals, and his great 
strength, which gives him an activity not at all in keeping 
with his appearance, coupled with the possession of a sharp, 
strong horn on the bridge of his nose, causes him to be much 
respected, by the inhabitants of the region in which he lives. 






































“Pete” is usually very quiet, but is subject to attacks of 
rage, during which he will turn violently on his keepers. On 
such occasions he is suffered to remain by himself. 



THE INDIAN RHINOCEROS. 

Several fine specimens of the Giraffe (Camelopardalis gi- 
raffa ) are in the possession of the Society at present. 

Their native country is the central and eastern part of 
Africa, from about the tenth or fifteenth degree of north 
latitude almost to the Cape; here they are found in small 
herds, browsing on the branches of such trees as may be 
within their reach. Their long legs unfit them for feeding on 
the ground, as it is a work of much difficulty for the Giraffe, 
by straddling its fore legs widely apart, to get its nose down 
to the level on which it stands. Their gait is very rapid for 
a short distance, but their powers of endurance, or “bottom,” 
as horsemen term it, not being proportionate, they soon settle 
down to a lesser rate of speed. The weapons of the Giraffe 

























































































37 



THE GIRAFFE. 

are its hoofs, with which it kicks and strikes in every direc¬ 
tion, dealing powerful and dangerous blows. It is a very 
timid animal, however, keeping a careful lookout from its 
tall head, erected like a watch-tower, high in the air, and 
when startled by the approach of an enemy at once seeks 
safety in flight. 

It is a ruminant, closely related to the antelopes. The 
horns, or protuberances on the head, are not shed, as is 
common with many of the order to which it belongs, but are 
composed of solid bone, covered with skin like the remainder 
of the skull. 








































































































38 


As with the elephant, the height of the Giraffe is enor¬ 
mously over-estimated in popular opinion; the distance from 
the head, when fully erect, to the ground, probably not aver¬ 
aging over sixteen feet. They are very delicate in constitution, 
and in our climate require the most careful attention. 

The South American Tapir ( Tapir us terrestris ), as before 
stated, belongs to the same division of ungulates as the horse 
and rhinoceros, though in appearance it somewhat resembles 
the swine. The natives of the regions which it inhabits con¬ 
sider it to be very good eating. It is fond of the water, div¬ 
ing and swimming with great ease, and is rarely found far 
from the banks of some lake or stream. Their common re¬ 
sort is the dense thickets of undergrowth, where they lie con¬ 
cealed from danger. D’Azara says of them :—“ It is also re¬ 
marked that when the jaguar pounces upon them, they rush 
headlong through the thickest parts of the woods, until they 
force him to quit his hold, passing through narrow and intri¬ 
cate places. The Mborebi, indeed, never frequents a beaten 
road or pathway, but breaks and pushes through whatever it 
encounters with its head, which it always carries very low. It 
flies all danger, and anticipates it by means of its strong noc¬ 
turnal vision and its acute sense of hearing.” 

There are several not very well defined species in South and 
Central America and one in south-eastern Asia. Of this 
species ( Tapirus malayanus ), the Society obtained a specimen 
in the fall of 1876, but the severe winter which followed its 
purchase proved fatal to it, renewing a previous inflammation 
of the lungs, from the effects of which it died. It was much 
larger than the South American form, and had a grayish-white 
patch marked out like a saddle-cloth over the back and sides 
from the shoulders to the rump—from this it derives its pop¬ 
ular name of Saddle-backed Tapir. 

During the winter a number of macaws will be found in 
this building, which, when the weather is sufficiently warm, 
are kept in a wire cage opposite the Eagle Aviary. 

These superb birds form an important group of the order 
Psittaci, or Parrots, and live in large flocks in the forests of 
Central and South America, where their brilliant colors vie in 
intensity with the tropical vegetation which surrounds them. 

There are a number of species, of which the best known are 
the Red and Blue Macaw (.Ara macao), the Red and Yel- 


4 


39 

low Macaw ( Ara chloroptera ), and the Blue and Yellow 
Macaw ( Ara ararauna). 


Nos. 8 and 9.—THE LARGE SEAL 
PONDS. 

The central and lower ponds are tenanted by a number of 
Gillespie’s Hair Seals (, Zalophus gillespii ). This species 
is found in large numbers in the lower part of the North Pacific 
Ocean; those which are in the Garden having been captured 
at the San Miguel Islands, off the coast of California, not far 
from Santa Barbara; they are rarely seen as far up as San 
Francisco, and are found in the waters of the same latitude 
on the Asiatic side of the Pacific. 

The differences between this species and the Northern Sea 
Lion (. Eumetopias stelleri ), numbers of which afford great 
amusement to visitors to Seal Rock, in the bay of San Fran¬ 
cisco, are mainly in size, the males of the latter growing much 
larger, and also in the development of the skull and teeth. 
The male Hair Seal, when adult, weighs three or four times 
as much as the female, and is provided with enormous canine 
teeth, with which they fight terrible battles at the season of 
rutting, often injuring each other severely ; they are of a sav¬ 
age and dangerous disposition and are ugly antagonists even 
to man. 

They swim and float with great address, sleeping on the 
surface of the water; they remain at sea during eight or nine 
months of the year, coming out on shore in vast numbers at 
the season of breeding, where they remain in some cases as 
much as three months without food or water. On land they 
progress with more ease than is common with other seals, by 
a gait somewhat like the canter of a horse ; they climb rocks 
easily, and throw themselves from a height of ten or fifteen 
feet into the water or on the rocks without damage,—their 
tough skins and a layer of fat several inches thick, which lies 
immediately beneath, protecting them from injury. They 
are representatives of the family of Eared Seals ( Otaridce ), 
all of which are of large size, and are readily distinguished 
by the possession of an external ear, which is never more 
than an inch and a half long and is rolled tightly in the shape 
of a cone. There are seven or eight species of these seals, 







40 


all being confined to the Pacific Ocean, where they range 
from the Arctic to the Antarctic region, one species only 
being sometimes found up the Atlantic coast of South America 
as far as Brazil. The Fur Seals belong to this group; the 
undercoat of fur being very soft and thick in them and sup¬ 
plying the seal-skin of commerce. 

The seals now in the Garden were captured when quite 
young, in July, 1877, and were placed in the Garden in the 
following month; they have not yet attained their full size, 
but are growing rapidly, and promise well for future develop¬ 
ment. When fully adult the males are seven or eight feet 
long, and weigh from five to six hundred pounds; the females 
weighing not over a fourth as much. 


No. 10.—THE DEER HOUSE. 

This building was completed in the spring of 1877, from 
the plans of George W. Hewitt, Esq., and affords accommo¬ 
dation at present for a somewhat varied assortment of herb¬ 
ivorous animals. 

For the present, one of the pens in this building has been 
enclosed and is used for the accommodation of the Orangs 
and Chimpanzee. (See page 18.) 

Here will be found the Yak {Bison grunniens ), in a wild 
state native to the high mountain ranges and plateaus of 
Thibet and Tartary. There are several domestic breeds of 
the yak used all over central Asia for purposes of draught and 
burden. The long hair is used in the manufacture of various 
fabrics, and the tails are much prized by the Tartars and Chi¬ 
nese, constituting among the former an insignia of rank when 
attached to the head of a lance; by the Chinese they are 
dyed of various colors and used as fly-flappers. 

The wild yak is a somewhat sullen and ill-tempered brute, 
and can use its long horns sideways with great effect. 

The Eland ( Oreas canna). This truly magnificent animal 
is the largest of the antelopes, the great home of which is in 
Africa; this species being from the southern part. The ante¬ 
lopes are generally of small or medium size ; the Eland, how¬ 
ever, is frequently of the size and weight of a large horse. 

I 



4i 


The venison is said to be of a delicious flavor and texture, and 
it is somewhat remarkable, considering the facility with which 
the animal breeds under domestication, that they have not 
been naturalized to a greater extent in Europe/ It has been 
found that they readily withstand the winters of France and 
England, though the greater extreme of cold in our own 
climate is more than they can bear without shelter. 

The Ostrich (Struthio camelus )—during the warm weather 
kept out of doors—will be found in winter occupying a large 
pen on the east side of this building. This bird is the female 
remaining of a fine pair which the Society purchased shortly 
after the opening of the Garden. 

They are natives of the hot, sandy plains in the interior of 
Africa, over which they range in small flocks of rarely more 
than half a dozen, subsisting mainly on a species of melon 
which grows wild in those parts. The sexes are readily dis¬ 
tinguished, the males having a mixture of black in their plum¬ 
age, the females being of a grayish color. The Ostrich is 
the largest known bird now existing, its head sometimes 
reaching to a height of eight feet above the ground. Its 
long legs give it great speed—some writers having estimated 
its pace, when first startled, at fifty miles an hour. Its feet, 
padded beneath like those of the camel, adapt it to coursing 
over the shifting, movable sands of its native regions without 
sinking. 

The wings are reduced to mere rudiments, as in all the 
struthious birds, and are utterly useless for purposes of flight. 
It is said, however, that the Ostrich raises them above the 
sides and uses them as sails when—to use a nautical term— 
running before the wind. The Ostrich is much prized by the 
Bushmen, both for its eggs and feathers. 

Within the last few years a large industry has been de¬ 
veloped at the Cape of Good Hope in farming and breeding 
Ostriches for the feathers, which now make a considerable 
article of export. The demand for the birds has become so 
great, at that point, that they are becoming rare outside 
of Africa. It would appear probable that with some little 
trouble these birds could be acclimated on the sandy plains 
in Arizona and lower California. 

The Oryx ( Oryx leucoryx ) is one of the innumerable tribe 
of antelopes inhabiting Africa. It is conspicuous for its long, 


slightly curved, and tapering horns, which, as it is exceed¬ 
ingly quick in its motions, it uses with much effect upon an 
enemy. The lion has more than once been met and pierced 
to the heart by these terrible horns when he thought to se¬ 
cure, without danger, an unresisting prey. The species is 
from the north of Africa. 

The Sambur Deer ( Cervus aristotelis), from India,—a fair 
type of the group of Rusine Deer, of which there are several 
species confined to Asia. The Axis Deer (Cervus axis) , also 
from India, and the little Mazame Deer (Cervus campestris ), 
from South America, are also in this building during the 
winter. 



KANGAROOS. 


The Great Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). 
The Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus ). 

The Derbian Wallaby (Halmaturus derbianus). 
Bennett’s Wallaby (Halmaturus bennetti ). 













































43 


The kangaroos inhabit the continent of Australia, as well 
as Tasmania and other of the adjacent islands ; they, in com¬ 
mon with nearly the whole fauna of the Australian region, 
belong to the order of Marsupialia. 

These animals derive their name from a pouch or bag situ¬ 
ated on the lower part of the abdomen in the female, and 
containing the teats. The young animal being born—so to 
speak—prematurely, is in an undeveloped condition, and is 
at once placed by the mother in this pouch, where it attaches 
itself to a nipple and remains for some weeks until it has 
attained a weight of several pounds, when it gradually begins 
to come forth. It does not permanently leave the bag until it 
has grown so large as to be of an inconvenient size for the 
mother to carry about. The order is a large one, containing 
nine-tenths of the fauna of the Australian region, and includ¬ 
ing the opossums of America. It presents a striking variety of 
habits and adaptations of form among its members; many of 
the other mammalian orders being represented by marsupial 
forms, which agree, more or less perfectly, with them in habits. 

The kangaroos fill a number of places in the economy of 
their native region—there being Brush Kangaroos, Rock 
Kangaroos, and Tree Kangaroos, all of which are equally at 
home in the surroundings indicated by their respective names. 

The wallabys are a sub-group of kangaroos, differing slightly 
in structure. 

The Rufous Rat Kangaroo (.Hypsiprymnus rufescens) is 
a small member of the family from New South Wales. 

All of the kangaroos are strictly herbivorous in diet; they 
are hardy, breed readily, and might be acclimated in parks in 
the warmer temperate parts of the United States, with little 
difficulty. 

The Aoudad (Ovis tragelaphus), though classed among 
the sheep, differs considerably from the typical form of the 
family, and is often placed in a sub-group. It belongs in the 
north of Africa, where it ranges high up among the Atlas 
mountains, just as our Mountain Sheep (Ovis montana) does 
among the Rocky mountains and the Sierras. The Aoudad 
is noticeable for its curving, powerful horns and for the thick 
beard which hangs from its neck to below the knee—almost to 
the ground. 


44 



THE AOUDAD. 


The Brindled Gnu ( Catoblepas gorgoti) and the Dorcas 
Gazelle (Gazetla dorcas), both rank among the antelopes. 
The former is found in large herds about the Orange river, in 
south Africa. The gazelles inhabit south-western Asia and 
northern Africa, and, being docile and of exquisite grace in 
proportions and movement, are much sought by the Arabs as 
pets. 

The Capybara ( Hydrochcerus capybara ) and Coypu ( Myop - 
tamus coypus ) are temporarily kept in this building. They are 
natives of South America, and are of similar habits to the 
beaver and muskrat,—like them belonging to the order of 
rodents. The capybara is much prized by the natives for its 
white, delicate flesh, while from the coypu is obtained the fur 
known as “ nutria/’ formerly much used in the manufacture 
of beaver hats. 

The lower or south-eastern portion of the grounds is, as 












































45 


yet, unfinished, a considerable amount of grading and plant¬ 
ing of trees being required. The only animal enclosure which 
has been erected there is 

No. 27.—THE POLAR-BEAR PEN, 

containing two fine young members of this species ( Ursus 
maritimus ). This animal is found throughout the arctic re¬ 
gions of Europe, Asia, and America, rarely ranging below 
the fifty-fifth degree of latitude; how far to the north they 
find their way is unknown. Sir Edward Parry saw them at 
latitude eighty-two. 

They measure sometimes nine feet in length from nose to 
tail, and are dangerous visitors when pressed, as they often 
are, by hunger, to invade the camps of sailors, ice-bound in 
the northern seas. They live on fish, seals, and blubber, and 
being perfectly at home in the water, pursue their prey and 
capture it in its native element. The following account is 
given by an arctic explorer of the cunning displayed by this 
animal in procuring food :— 

“The Bear, on seeing his intended prey, gets quietly into 
the water and swims until to leeward of him, whence by short 
dives he silently makes his approach, and so arranges his dis¬ 
tance that at the last dive he comes to the spot where the seal 
is lying. If the poor animal attempts to escape by rolling 
into the water, he falls into the bear’s clutches; if, on the 
contrary, he lies still, his destroyer makes a powerful spring, 
kills him on the ice, and devours him at leisure.” 

In captivity these animals live mostly on bread. The pair 
in the Garden were brought from Hamburg, in December, 
1876. 


No. 11.—THE LAKE. 

The Lake, used in winter for skating, is occupied in sum¬ 
mer by a number of aquatic birds, mostly belonging to the 
order Anseres. The following are usually to be seen :— 

The Mute Swan {Cygnus o/or), Europe. 

The Black Swan ( Cygnus atratus ), Australia. 

The Whistling Swan ( Cygnus americanus ), North America. 
The Magpie Goose ( Anseranas melanoleucus ), Australia. 



46 


The White-fronted Goose ( Anser ccerulescens ), North 
America. 

The Chinese Goose ( Anser cygnoides ), China. 

The Bar-headed Goose ( Anser indicus ), India. 

The Brant Goose ( Bernicla brenta ), Europe and North 
America. 

The Canada Goose ( Bernicla canadensis ), North America. 

The Dusky or Black Duck (Anas obscura), North 
America. 

The Pintail Duck (Dafila acuta), Europe and North 
America. 

The American Widgeon (Mareca americana ), North 
America. 

The European Widgeon (Mareca penelope), Europe. 

The Canvas-backed Duck (Fuligula vallisneria), North 
America. 

The Red-headed Duck (Fuligula ferina americana'), 
North America. 

The Little Black-headed Duck (Fuligula affinii), North 
America. 

The Eider Duck (Somateria mollissima), North Atlantic. 

The last species, which yields much of the famous eider 
down, is found along the arctic coast of Europe and America. 
On the North Atlantic coast of this continent it sometimes 
winters as far south as New England. The down is plucked 
from the breast of the living bird and is very valuable. It is 
obtained, also, by robbing the nests, which the female parent 
lines with down, which, with her bill, she pulls from her own 
breast to make a soft resting-place for her offspring. 

The Adjutant (Leptoptilus argala), of India, is one of the 
extensive family of storks, which are found throughout the 
world, with the exception of North America; it will be easily 
recognized by its long, thick bill. In its native country it 
wages successful war upon the many venomous reptiles which 
there find a home, and also performs a part similar to that 
which is effectively taken in our southern States by the Black 
Vulture. This is well stated in Jerdon’s “Birds of India:”— 
“In Calcutta and some other large towns, the Adjutant is a 
familiar bird, unscared by the near approach of man or dog, 
and protected, in some cases, by law. It is an efficient scaven¬ 
ger, attending the neighborhood of slaughter-houses, and 
especially the burning-grounds of the Hindoos, when the 
often half-burnt carcasses are thrown into the river. It also 
diligently looks over the heaps of refuse and offal thrown out 


47 


into the streets to await the arrival of the scavenger’s cart, 
where it may be seen in company with dogs, kites, and crows. 
It likes to vary its food, however, and may often be seen search¬ 
ing ditches, pools of water, and tanks, for frogs and fish. In 
the Deccan it soars to an immense height in the air along with 
vultures, ready to descend on any carcass that may be dis¬ 
covered.” 

The White Stork ( Ciconia alba ) is also a well-known 
species, being a common summer resident in the central parts 
of Europe, particularly in Holland and Germany, retiring 
into Asia and Africa at the approach of winter. It is almost 
a household bird, living even in the midst of large cities, and 
in parts of Germany is regarded with superstitious reverence. 

A rare species from west Africa, the Saddle-billed Stork 
(Xenorhynchus senegalensis ) is also to be seen in the collec¬ 
tion. 


No. 26.—THE RABBIT WARREN. 

Passing around the lake, the visitor reaches the Rabbit 
Warren, where are kept a variety of wild and domestic races. 

The terms “ hare ” and “ rabbit ” are, popularly, of very 
uncertain application. There should be, however, no neces¬ 
sity for this confusion, as “hare ” is a comprehensive name, 
covering the whole family, while the “ rabbit ” is one par¬ 
ticular member of that family ( Lepus cu/iiculus), indigenous 
to Europe, and from which all our domestic race are probably 
derived. 

The rabbit is alone, among its kin, distinguished by the 
habit of digging burrows in the ground, all the rest of the 
family finding shelter in the underbrush, or under a tuft of 
long grass, and occasionally making use of the deserted bur¬ 
row of some other animal. 

Among the wild species usually exhibited are the large 
Jackass Hare ( Lepus callotis ) of the plains of the western 
States, which derives its name from the enormous length of 
its ears ; the Common Gray Hare ( Lepus sylvaticus ) of our 
country, and the Common Gray Hare of Europe ( Lepus 
ear op (zus). 

One compartment ot the Warren contains a number of 
Woodchucks (. Arctomys monax). This rodent, closely allied 
to the marmot of Europe, is well known to every farmer’s boy 
from Canada to South Carolina; it burrows in the ground and 




48 


when afforded proper facilities, as in this case, is rarely seen 
during the daytime. It is one of the most common of our 
wild animals, and may, perhaps, be better known under the 
name of Ground Hog—though why “ Hog ” it is difficult to 
say, as it does not resemble that animal in any way whatever. 


No. 13.—THE MUSIC STAND. 

It is the general custom to have music on several after¬ 
noons in the week, during warm weather, in the Music Stand, 
opposite the Restaurant. 


The Common American Lynx or Wild Cat {Lynx rufus) 
is distributed generally over the United States, and varies in 
color to so great an extent that different naturalists have in¬ 
sisted upon three or four not very well-defined species within 
the range of its distribution. Though in appearance it is 
ferocious to the last degree, it is in reality a cowardly beast, 
and subsists altogether upon small animals and birds. 

In the north it is replaced by the Canada Lynx ( Lynx 
canadensis ), of somewhat larger size and grayer color. This 
species may also be known by the long tufts or pencils of hair 
which stand erect from the tip of the ear, and by its larger 
feet. As this lynx is found far to the north among the snows of 
British America, it is undoubtedly true that nature—fitting all 
things for their necessities—has developed the enormous paw 
which is characteristic of the species, to answer the part of a 
snow-shoe in enabling the animal to range at will and capture 
its prey on the surface of the snow, without sinking enough to 
be impeded in its progress. 

Like all the animals inhabiting the extreme north, which 
depend on an external covering for warmth, the fur of the 
Canada Lynx is exceedingly long and thick. 


No. 14.—THE DEER PARK. 

The Virginia Deer (Cervus virginianus) is the common 
deer of the United States, and is found generally from the 
Eastern to the Gulf States, and from the Atlantic coast to the 
Missouri river. They are easily tamed, and breed readily 
under domestication. 





49 



THE LLAMA. 

The llamas, which are kept in this Park, belong to the 
Camelidce , and to a certain extent fill in South America the 
place which is held by the camels in Asia and Africa. They 
have long been domesticated, as Pizarro, on his conquest of 
Peru, found them in as general use as they are at the present 
time. 

There are several wild species—the others, so far as is known, 
being descendants of the wild stock. 

The Llama (Lama peruana ) is much used by the natives of 
Peru to transport burdens up the steep passes of the Andes, 
and is one of the domestic races. 

Among the wild ones are the Huanaco (.Lama huanacos ), 
about the size of the Llama, but of a reddish-brown color, and 
the Vicuna (Lama vicugna ), a smaller variety, covered with 
reddish-brown wool. These, like the Alpaca, are much hunted 
for the valuable wool which they yield. They are domestica¬ 
ted with ease, and the Llama has bred several times in the 
Garden. 

































50 



THE WOODLAND CARIBOU. 

The Moose (Alee americanus), closely allied to the elk of 
northern Europe, is the largest of the deer family, much ex¬ 
ceeding in height the largest horse. This magnificent animal 
formerly ranged into the upper parts of the Eastern and Mid¬ 
dle States, but its numbers have lessened rapidly, and at pres¬ 
ent it is rarely found below the northern part of Maine, from 
whence they range into all parts of British America. 

The antlers of the Moose, at their fullest development, are 
very widely palmated or flattened, and spread as much as five 
feet from tip to tip. As with all of the deer family, these enor¬ 
mous horns are shed every year, early in the spring, and are 
very shortly reproduced by a bony deposit from the blood. It 
is almost beyond belief that so great a mass, weighing from 
forty to sixty pounds, can be produced by such a process within 
the short space of from ten to twelve weeks. During the sea¬ 
son of rutting the bull Moose is a savage and dangerous ani¬ 
mal, and it is well to keep beyond the reach of the terrible 



5i 


blows which he deals with his sharp forehoofs. The animal is, 
however, susceptible of a considerable degree of domestication, 
the writer having recently seen one which had been broken 
to harness and trotted on the track. The gait of the animal 
is a long, swinging trot, and is very rapid. 

Numerous attempts have been made in the Garden to keep 
specimens of the Woodland Caribou ( Rangifer caribou ), but 
in all cases the unsuitable climate and the impossibility of pro¬ 
viding the proper food have proved speedily fatal. The ani¬ 
mal has an extremely northern range. There are two species, 
the one referred to reaching from Maine and New Brunswick 
westward to Lake Superior, and the Barren Land Caribou 
(Rangifer grcenlandicus ), far to the north in Greenland and 
Arctic America. They subsist for the most part on lichens, 
mosses, and small shoots and twigs of trees. 

This is the only member of the deer family in which the 
female as well as the male has antlers. The antlers are very 
irregular in development, and differ much in shape; the tip 
and also the brow antler are generally palmated to some ex¬ 
tent. 

The Caribou represents in the New World the reindeer of 
the Old, and by training might be made useful to the Esqui¬ 
maux as the latter is among the Lapps. 

The Mule Deer ( Census macroiis ) and the White-tailed 
Deer ( Cervus leucurus ) are both found on the plains of the 
United States, west of the Missouri river. The latter much 
resembles the common deer, of which it is probably but a va¬ 
riety, while the former is considerably larger, and differs in the 
shape of its horns. 

In the creek back of the Deer Park are usually a number of 
birds, some of which are placed in different buildings during 
the winter. 

The Summer or Wood Duck {Aix sponsd ), of North Amer¬ 
ica, and the beautiful Mandarin Duck {Aix galericulata)j 
of China, will be seen occupying one of the small enclosures. 

The Summer Duck differs from all the other true ducks of 
this country in its habit of living in trees,—its nest being 
commonly made in a hollow limb at a considerable distance 
from the ground. A group known as Tree Ducks, approach¬ 
ing somewhat to the geese, are found from Mexico to South 
America. The White-faced Tree Duck (. Dendrocygna vidu- 
ata) and the Red-Billed Tree Duck ( Dendrocygna autum- 
nalis) are members of this group. 


52 



THE AUSTRALIAN CRANE. 


The Australian Crane, or Native Companion (Grits 
australasiana), Australia. 

The Whooping Crane (Grus americana), North America. 

The Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis,) North America. 

The Wood Ibis (Tantalus loculator ), Southern United 
States. 

The White Ibis (Ibis alba), Gulf States. 

The Scarlet Ibis (Ibis rubra), South America. 

The Common Bittern (Botaurus minor). North America. 

The Night Heron (Nyctiardea grisea), United States. 

The Great White Egret (Ardea egretta), Southern 
United States. 

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), North Amer¬ 
ica. 

The Little Blue Heron (Ardea ccerulea), Southern 
United States. 

The Least Bittern (Ardetta exilis), United States. 

These all belong to the order Grallaiores, or Wading Birds. 
In them the legs are usually of great length, and are com¬ 
monly bare of feathers for some distance above the tarsal 
joint; the neck is, in most species, of length proportioned to 
the legs. The order is a very extensive one, containing nu¬ 
merous forms distributed all over the world. 







53 


The Fulmar Petrel (. Fulmaris glacialis ), the Parasitic 
Jaeger Gull ( Stercorarius parasiticus ), the Laughing Gull 
{Zarus airicilla), and the Great Black-backed Gull ( Larus 
marinus ), are members of the order Gavidce , and are found 
along the coast of the Atlantic States; the first two have a 
very extensive range to the north. 



THE ALLIGATOR. 


The large Alligator {Alligator mississippiensis) is generally 
to be seen during warm weather in one of the compartments 
of this creek, either sunning himself on the bank or sub¬ 
merged in the water, nothing being visible but the tips of the 
ridges over the eye and the protuberance around the nostrils 
on the extreme end of the snout. This species is found in 
the rivers and bayous of the Gulf States, and is allied to the 
crocodile and gavial of Egypt and southern Asia, and the 
caiman and jacare of South America. One species of Croc¬ 
odile {Crocodilus americanus ) is also found in South America 
and Cuba, and quite rarely along the Gulf coast of the United 
States. 


No. 16.—THE CAMEL, ELK, AND 
BUFFALO PENS. 

The Bactrian, or Double-humped Camel ( Camelus bac- 
trianus ), and the Common Camel, or Dromedary {Camelus 
dromedarius), are both originally natives of Asia, where they 
now exist only under the subjection of man. The Bactrian 
Camel comes from the high, cold plains of Tartary, and is a 
more compact and powerful beast than the Dromedary, which 





54 


comes from the warmer climate of Arabia, and is lighter and 
more fleet of foot. They are much used in the sandy deserts 
of Arabia and northern Africa—nature having specially fitted 
their feet, like those of the ostrich, to the loose soil on which 
they walk, and also having provided them with a means of 
traveling for several days without requiring a fresh supply of 
water, part of the walls of the stomach supporting a double 
tissue, filled with cells, which absorb from the stomach a 
quantity of water sufficient to remain for some days as a reser¬ 
voir, from which the necessities of the animal may be sup¬ 
plied. A number of camels were imported by the United States 
Government, some years ago, with the idea of making them 
available in military operations in the west; but owing to the 
stony nature of much of the soil, for which their feet are not 
adapted, the experiment was not altogether successful. Those 
in the Garden are descended from this imported stock. 

Fossil remains of members of the Camelida have been 
found in the United States, thus proving that they were once 
indigenous to this country. 

The American Elk, or Wapiti (Cervus canadensis ), is 
about the largest of the typical deer, Judge Caton describing 
one, which lived for some time in his park in Illinois, that 
stood sixteen hands high at the withers, and was estimated to 
weigh nine hundred pounds; the average weight, however, 
of a full-grown buck would probably not be over six hundred. 

The Wapiti ranged originally all over North America and a 
large part of Canada; forty years ago a few were found in the 
mountains of western Virginia and the wildest parts of New 
York, but civilization has gradually driven it, like the buffalo 
and the Indian, to a few fastnesses in the far west, where 
they yet make a stand before the final extermination which 
seems inevitably to await them. At the present time they 
range in small herds from the upper waters of the Missouri 
through the Yellowstone country westward to the Rocky 
mountains; they are found in fewer numbers south-west, in 
Texas, and a few are still left in the more secluded parts of 
Michigan and Minnesota. They are readily kept r living on 
almost any kind of vegetable food, and are hardy and little 
liable to disease. Save in exceptional cases, and during the 
season of rutting, they are tractable and easily managed. 
The large buck in the collection had his antlers in the velvet 
when he was shipped to the Garden; at this time the horn 


55 



THE AMERICAN ELK. 

is soft and easily damaged. One horn was, unfortunately, 
broken, and has been reproduced each year successively in its 
damaged condition, consisting of a single fork about two feet 
long, while the other antler reaches its full development. 

The American Bison or Buffalo (Bison americanus ) may 
be observed to very good advantage in the large pen adjoining 
the Elk. 

Of the geographical distribution of this species past and 
present, Prof. J. A. Allen treats as follows in a “ History of 
the American Bison,” published by the Department of the 
Interior in 1877 :— 

“ The habitat of the Bison formerly extended from Great 
Slave Lake, on the north, in latitude about 62°, to the north¬ 
eastern provinces of Mexico, as far south as latitude 25°. Its 
range in British North America extended from the Rocky 
mountains on the west to the wooded highlands about six 
hundred miles west of Hudson’s Bay, or about to a line run¬ 
ning south-eastward from the Great Slave Lake to the Lake of 


56 



THE BISON. 


the Woods. Its range in the United States formerly embraced 
a considerable area west of the Rocky mountains—its recent 
remains having been found in Oregon as far west as the Blue 
mountains, and further south it occupied the Great Slave Lake 
basin, extending westward even to the Sierra Nevada moun¬ 
tains, while less than fifty years since it existed over the head¬ 
waters of the Green and Grand rivers, and other sources of 
the Colorado. East of the Rocky mountains its range ex¬ 
tended southward far beyond the Rio Grande, and eastward 
through the region drained by the Ohio and its tributaries. 
Its northern limit, east of the Mississippi, was the great lakes, 
along which it extended to near the eastern end of Lake Erie. 
It appears not to have occurred south of the Tennessee river, 
and only to a limited extent east of the Alleghenies, chiefly 
in the upper districts of North and South Carolina. 

“ Its present range embraces two distinct and comparatively 
small areas. The southern is chiefly limited to Western Kan- 


* 








57 


sas, a part of the Indian Territory, and North-western Texas 
—in all together embracing a region about equal in size to the 
present State of Kansas. The northern district extends from 
the sources of the principal southern tributaries of the Yellow¬ 
stone northward into the British possessions, embracing an 
area not much greater than the present territory of Montana. 
Over these regions, however, it is rapidly disappearing, and 
at its present rate of decrease will certainly become wholly 
extinct within the next quarter of a century.” 

Over nearly the whole of this country the Bison formerly 
ranged in vast herds, and the destructive side of man’s nature 
can not be better shown than in the contemplation of the com¬ 
paratively small area to which they are now restricted. Yet 
even here they must be almost countless in numbers to with¬ 
stand even for a short time the prodigious slaughter which 
goes on year after year among them. It has been estimated 
by careful and competent authorities, that from the year 1870 
to 1875 they were killed at the rate of two and one-half mil¬ 
lions a year. 


No. 17.—THE FOX AND WOLF PENS. 

The Red Fox ( Vulpesfulvus) ranges in large numbers from 
the Carolinas northward into Canada, and from the Atlantic 
coast to the Missouri river. It is subject to much variation— 
the Cross Fox ( Vulpes fulvus decussata ), a beautiful animal 
marked with two black stripes crossing each other on the 
shoulders, found from Canada into New York, and occasion¬ 
ally into Pennsylvania, and the Silver Fox ( Vulpes fulvus 
argeniatus) , found sparingly in the north-western States—both 
being permanent and well-marked varieties. The latter is 
known by the beautiful and expensive furs which it supplies. 

The Gray Fox ( Vulpes cinereo-argeniatus') has a complete 
range throughout the United States, increasing in numbers 
towards the south, where it gradually replaces the Red Fox, 
which it much resembles in mode of life. 

The Kit or Swift Fox ( Vulpes velox) is the smallest of 
American foxes, and is confined to the plains of the west. 

The Arctic Fox ( Vulpes lagopus) is common to the polar 
regions of the north, in both hemispheres. Like many species 
which inhabit countries where the ground is covered with snow 


58 


for a large part of the year, the fur of the Arctic Fox changes 
from a lead-brown color to white at the approach of winter. 
This provision of nature causes it to be less conspicuous against 
the snow and ice which surround it, and greatly aids it in ob¬ 
taining food, as well as in escaping the necessity of serving 
as such to swifter and more powerful animals. 

The Great Gray or Timber Wolf (Canis occidentals 
griseo-alba ) is the largest of American wolves, and formerly 
ranged over the whole United States and Canada. The set¬ 
tlement of the country has, however, driven them, with other 
noxious beasts, to the more secluded forests and plains, where 



THE PRAIRIE WOLF. 

they are beyond the reach of man. The common color of the 
species is grayish-white, but it varies all the way from pure 
white to deep black. 

The Prairie Wolf or Cayote (Canis latrans ) is well 
known to all western travelers. Beyond the Missouri river 




















59 


they range in packs of from five or six to twenty, from Mexico 
well up into British America. They are intermediate in size 
between the Fox and Gray Wolf, and live mostly on the car¬ 
casses which are found upon the plains. 

The Common Wolf (Cam's lupus) of Europe, resembles the 
Gray Wolf. A specimen in the Garden, from Italy, is smaller 
in size, being not much larger than the Cayote. 

South America possesses several species of small wolves, 
very fox-like in some of their characters. By some natu¬ 
ralists they have been constituted a group intermediate be¬ 
tween the two. Azara’s Fox (Cams azarod) belongs to this 
group. 

The Dingo or Wild Dog (Canis dingo) of Australia, was 
formerly supposed to be an aboriginally wild stock, but they 
are now taken to be descended from imported progenitors, 
which ran wild and have increased with great rapidity. They 
are wild, cowardly brutes, susceptible of little domestication, 
and cause by their depredations much loss to the sheep-raisers 
of Australia. 

The dogs, wolves, and foxes, with the jackals, constitute a 
family of Carnivora known as the Canida. 


No. 18.—THE WINTER HOUSE, 

For tropical plants, is used merely to keep during cold 
weather those plants for which our winters are too severe for 
outdoor exposure. Being only a sort of storage-house, it is 
not open to visitors. 


No. 19.—THE CATTLE PENS. 

Opposite the wolves is an iron enclosure divided into pens 
in which are generally kept various members of the ox and 
deer families. 

The Domestic Goat (Capra hircus) is represented by 
many different breeds in all parts of the world. The Society 
recently imported several specimens of the celebrated Cash- 
mere Goat. These animals are natives of Thibet and the 
adjacent countries, and are bred for the long, silky hair which 
covers them, and from which the famous Cashmere shawls 





6 o 


and scarfs are made. They have been domesticated with 
some success both in Europe and this country. 

The Zebu (.Bos indicus). A number of breeds of these 
cattle exist throughout China, India, and north Africa, vary¬ 
ing in size from that of a calf to the full adult of our ordinary 
domestic cattle. They differ much in appearance, there 
being breeds without horns, and some almost without the 
characteristic hump on the shoulders, while in others the 
horns are of great size, and some in which the hump weighs 
from forty to fifty pounds. 

The life of the Zebu is held sacred among the Hindoos, 
and it is not uncommon for a particularly fine bull to be con¬ 
secrated to the worship of Siva, and then turned loose to do 
as he pleases among the natives, whose gardens he destroys 
and whose homes he invades with perfect impunity. 

They are much used as beasts of burden, and are also sad¬ 
dled and ridden. They can be acclimated in this country 
with a little care and breed readily, but have not been found 
to be of much economic value in comparison with the 
commonly established breeds of our own cattle. The So¬ 
ciety now possesses a bull and four cows of a small variety, 
and a magnificent bull of the large, lop-eared breed, jet black 
in color, contrary to the rule of his race, which are generally 
of a mouse-gray. 

The Prong-horned Antelope {Antilocapra americana ) is 
remarkable on account of the formation of its horns in a 
manner peculiar to itself alone. The horns of this species 
resemble in appearance those of the hollow-horned ruminants, 
in which the external covering of horny material grows around 
a solid, bony core. These horns are never shed, and are not 
replaced if lost by accident. In this antelope, however, the 
outside horny part is shed and replaced, it is thought by some 
naturalists, annually, as in the deer; but with the important 
difference, that in the deer the antler is formed directly by a 
deposit from the blood, while in the antelope in question it 
is produced by growth and hardening of the epidermis or 
outer layer of the skin. The species is now confined to the 
plains of the temperate regions of the west, where they are 
very common. They are easily tamed, but are very delicate, 
and will not live for any length of time under restraint of any 
character. 


61 


The Domestic Sheep (Ovis dries'), like the goat in its 
domesticated forms, is an inhabitant of the whole world. 

In one of these enclosures are several Yemen Sheep, from 
Persia, imported and presented to the Society by George 
William Bond, Esq., of Boston. They are believed, by a 
cross with the common sheep of Spain, to have produced the 
celebrated Merino breed. These are, so far as is known, the 
first of the breed which have been brought to this country. 
They are white, with black heads. 

The Fallow Deer (Cervus dama) is the common deer 
of Europe. Its normal color is reddish-brown, spotted, like 
the Axis, with white. It is liable to variation in color, how¬ 
ever, some of those in the Garden being pure white. The 
rest of the small herd were presented to the Society by the 
Earl of Powis, and were bred in his park in England. 


No. 20.—THE REPTILE HOUSE. 

The accommodations in this building are inadequate to 
the proper display of the Society’s rapidly-increasing collec¬ 
tion in this branch, and many of the cases are somewhat 
crowded. 

The class Reptilia is composed of animals provided with 
lungs, a very simple digestive apparatus, and cold blood. 
Many of them live in the water, but are compelled to rise to 
the surface for the purpose of respiration. With the exception 
of a few of the serpents, they are oviparous, and deposit their 
eggs on land. Reptiles proper are turtles, serpents, lizards, 
and saurians. 

The members of the class Batrachia agree in many respects 
with the above. Their spawn, or eggs, is, however, generally 
hatched under water, and they are covered with a smooth 
skin in place of the scales with which reptiles are provided. 
The young live entirely in the water, and breathe with gills. 
In some genera, as Siren and Menobranchus , these gills are 
retained through life, and project from the sides of the neck, 
where they may readily be observed, the blood which fills 
them giving them a rich crimson color. In others, as the 



62 


frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders, a complete metamor¬ 
phosis takes place, the gills of the immature animal disappear¬ 
ing altogether in the adult. In the genus Menopoma the gills 
become reduced to a small orifice in the side of the neck, and 
the lungs are well developed. 

Of the batrachians, the Siren ( Siren lacertina ), the Am- 
phiuma (. Amphiuma means), and the Proteus ( Menobranchus 
maculatus ), are usually in the collection. The two former 
are found in the soft mud of streams and ditches from Geor¬ 
gia southward. The specimens in the Garden rarely come 
out of the mud, except to get the worms on which they 
principally live. The Menobranchus or Proteus is from the 
fresh-water streams and lakes of the Middle States, and feeds 
upon worms, grubs, and larvae. 

The Hell Bender or Mud Devil (. Menopoma alleghenien- 
sis) is found in the river mud of all tributaries of the Missis¬ 
sippi, and occasionally in other localities in the Gulf States. 

The salamanders and tritons, or newts, are found plenti¬ 
fully all over the United States. Many of them live entirely 
in the water, except at the breeding season. The Red- 
backed Salamander (. Plethodon cinereus erythronotus), the 
Two-lined Salamander ( Spelerpes bi-lineatus), the Red Sala¬ 
mander (Spelerpes ruber), and the Black Newt, ( Desmog - 
nathus nigra), are among the most common species. 

A number of curious batrachians ( Amblystoma mavottium ), 
from the elevated plateaus in the western United States, will 
be found in the vivarium. Near them are several specimens 
of their larval form, with large gill tufts and a crest along 
the spine and tail. These shrink up and disappear when the 
animal becomes mature. 

The toads and frogs have a range co-extensive with the 
salamanders. The Common Toad (. Bufo leniiginosus) being 
found all over North America, with a number of well-marked 
varieties. 

The best known of the frogs are the Bull Frog ( Rana 
catesbiana), the Swamp Frog ( Rana palustris), the Brook 
Frog (Rana clamitans), and the Shad Frog (Rana halecina). 

The North American fauna possesses a large and varied num¬ 
ber of serpents (Ophidia), members of which order are found 
all over the world. The only venomous snakes belonging to 
North America are the different varieties of the Rattlesnake, 


63 


the Moccasin, the Copperhead, and the Harlequin snake. 
With the exception of the latter, these belong to the family 
Crotalida , distinguished by the presence of a deep pit between 
the eye and the mouth, and by the possession of a pair of 
poison fangs in the upper jaw, which are erectible at will. 

The Rattlesnake is common to the whole United States, 
very rarely reaching into Canada, and becoming more plenti¬ 
ful towards the south, where they grow to a large size, some¬ 
times reaching as .much as six feet in length. They are 
characterized by a horny outgrowth of the epidermis at the 
end of the tail, known as the rattle, with which they make a 
whirring noise when excited, with the effect, it is presumed, 
of giving notice to their enemies that they are not to be 
trifled with without danger. The number of buttons, as the 
sections into which the rattle is divided are termed, has been 
commonly supposed to be a means of determining the age of 
the snake, but as they are frequently lost by accident, and are 
as frequently produced three or four at a time, it is evident 
that this belief, with a number of others of equally loose 
foundation which invest the popular mind regarding the ser¬ 
pent, may as well be abandoned. 

The Banded Rattlesnake ( Crotalus liorrichis) and the 
Diamond Rattlesnake ( Crotalus adamanteus ) are the most 
well-marked species of this genus. The former being most 
common in the Eastern and Middle States, while the latter 
ranges from North Carolina to Florida. 

Say’s Rattlesnake ( Crotalus confluents') is one of the 
well-known western varieties. 

The Ground Rattlesnake ( Caudisonia miliaria) and the 
Prairie Rattlesnake ( Caudisonia tergemina ) are small species 
from the south and west. 

The Water Moccasin ( Ancistrodonpiscivorus') is confined 
to the wet and swampy lands throughout the south. A well- 
marked variety (pugnax) is confined to Texas. 

The Copperhead ( Ancistrodon contortrix) is found almost 
all over the United States, east of the Mississippi. 

The Harlequin Snake (. Elaps fulvius), of the Southern 
States, is also venomous, but in a lesser degree. It is of a 
very mild disposition, and has hardly ever been known to 
bite. It is one of the most beautiful of the order, being 
ringed with red, black, and yellow. The family, Elapida , to 


6 4 


which it belongs, has the centre of its distribution in the 
tropical zone, throughout the whole circle of the earth, and in¬ 
cludes some of the most deadly forms known. 

The Rainbow Snake (. Abastor erythrogrammus ), Southern 
States. 

The King Snake (Ophibolusgetulus), Atlantic coast. 

The Chain Snake ( Ophibolus doliatus triangulus ), Western 
States. 

The Green Snake (Cyclophis vernalis), Eastern and South¬ 
ern States. 

The Pine Snake ( Pityophis menanoleucus) , south of New 
Jersey and Ohio. 

The Chicken Snake ( Coluber quadrivittatus ), Southern 
States. 

The Mountain Black Snake (Coluber obsoletus), United 
States. 

The Milk Snake ( Coluber obsoletus confinis ), Western 
States. 

Fox’s Black Snake ( Coluber vulpinus ), Western States. 

The Corn Snake (Coluberguttatus), Southern States. 

The Black Snake (Bascanion constrictor ), United States. 

The Whip Snake (Bascanion flagelliforme ), Southern 
States. 

The Ribbon Snake (Eutcenia saurita ), Eastern and South¬ 
ern States. 

The Garter Snake (Eutcenia sirtalis ), North America. 

The Water Snake (Tropidonotus fasciatus ), Southern 
States. 

The Water Snake (Tropido?iotus sipedon ), Eastern and 
Southern States. 

The Hog-nosed Snake or Spreading Adder (Heterodon 
platyrhinos ), United States, east of Mississippi. 

' 

These serpents, with a number of others which are usually 
comprised in the collection, belong to what may be termed the 
Colubrine group. They are perfectly harmless to man, living 
on small birds, quadrupeds, worms, and insects; several 
genera— Ophibolus and Abastor —eating small snakes of their 
own and other species. 

The boas are a group of serpents inhabiting the tropical 
zone and attaining the largest size of any known members of 


65 


the order, as the Anaconda and Boa, of South America, and 
the Python and Rock Snake, of Africa and Asia. They are 
possessed of great power and kill their prey by compression; 
they swallow without difficulty animals which appear larger in 
circumference than themselves, the articulation of their jaws 
and ribs permitting of a great degree of distension. Dr. 
Hartwig, in “The Tropical World,” treats in a most enter¬ 
taining style of these serpents:—“The kingly Jiboya (. Boa- 
constrictor *) inhabits the dry and sandy localities of the Bra¬ 
zilian forests, where he generally conceals himself in crevices 
and hollows, in parts but little frequented by man, and some¬ 
times attains a length of thirty feet. To catch his prey, he 
ascends the trees and lurks hidden in the foliage for the un¬ 
fortunate agutis, pacas, and capybaras whom their unfortunate 
star may lead within his reach. When full grown he seizes 
the passing deer; but in spite of his large size he is but little 
feared by the natives, as a single blow of a cudgel suffices to 
destroy him. Prince Maximilian of Neu Wied tells us that 
the experienced hunter laughs when asked if the Jiboya attacks 
and devours man. The Sucuriaba, Anaconda, or Water Boa 
(.Eunectes murinus'), as it is variously named, attains still 
larger dimensions than the constrictor, as some have been 
found of a length of forty feet. It inhabits the large rivers, 
lakes, and marshy grounds of tropical America and passes 
most of its time in the water, now reposing on a sand-bank 
with only its head above the surface of the stream, now rapidly 
swimming like an eel, or abandoning itself to the current of 
the river. Such is its voracity that Firmin (‘ Histoire 
Naturelle de Surinam’) found in the stomach of an Ana¬ 
conda a large sloth, an iguana nearly four feet long, and a 
tolerably sized ant-bear, all three nearly in the same state as 
when they were first swallowed—a proof that their capture 
had taken place within a short time.” 

Several specimens will be found in the collection of the 
Common Boa (Boa constrictor ) of South America and the 
Tree Boa (Epicrates angulifcr) of Cuba. The genus Epi- 
crates belongs to a section of the family which are distinct¬ 
ively known as Tree Boas ; they are rarely more than seven 
or eight feet long, are arboreal in habit, and are found in the 
West Indies and Guiana. 

A large variety of lizards are distributed throughout the 
world, being most common in the warmer parts of the tem¬ 
perate zone. There are many species, belonging to the order 


66 


Lacertilia. Among the most common North American forms 
are :— 

The Striped Lizard ( Eu??ieces fasciatus ), Middle Atlan¬ 
tic and Southern States. 

The Six-lined Lizard ( Cnemidophorus sex-lineatus ), South¬ 
ern States. 

The Brown Lizard ( Sceloporus undulatus ), Southern States. 

The Horned Toad (. Phrynosoina cornuta ), South-western 
United States and Mexico. 

The Chameleon ( Anolis principalis ), Southern States. 

These are all small and harmless, many of them living 
among trees and feeding upon worms, insects, &c. 

The Iguanas also belong to this order; in some species they 
attain a length of four and five feet; pass most of their time 
in trees and live on fruit and birds’ eggs. They inhabit 
tropical America and the West Indies, where they are con¬ 
sidered as very good eating by the natives. 

The Glass Snake ( Ophiosaurus ventra/is), of the south¬ 
ern United States, and the Dalmatian Glass Snake (. Pseudo¬ 
pus pallasii ), from Europe, are lizards resembling snakes in 
appearance, being destitute of legs. 

The Society possesses a very good collection of typical 
forms of North American Turtles. These consist of the Tur¬ 
tles proper, which are generally of large size and live in the 
sea; the Terrapins, which live in streams, ponds, and 
marshes; and the Tortoises or Land Turtles. There are a 
number of forms belonging exclusively to the American 
fauna, of which the following are on exhibition:— 

The Leatherback Turtle (T/iassalochelys caouana), At¬ 
lantic coast. 

The Green Turtle ( Chelonia my das ), Atlantic coast. 

The Soft-shelled Turtle (Aspidonectes per ox), Gulf 
States. 

The Snapper Terrapin ( Chelydra serpentina ), North and 
South America. 

The Musk Terrapin ( Aromochelys odoratus ), Eastern and 
Southern States. 


67 

The Mud Terrapin ( Cinosternum pennsylvanicum), East¬ 
ern and Southern States. 

The Red-bellied Terrapin (. Pseudemys rugosa), Middle 
Atlantic States. 

The Florida Terrapin ( Pseudemys concinna ), Southern 
States. 

The Salt Water Terrapin ( Malacoclemmys palustris ), 
Atlantic and Gulf States. 

The Checkered Terrapin (^Chrysemyspieta), Eastern and 
Southern States. 

The Chicken Terrapin ( Chrysemys reticulata ), Gulf 
States. 

The Speckled Terrapin ( Chelopus muhlenbergii ), Penn¬ 
sylvania and New York. 

Blanding’s Tortoise (. Emys meleagris), Western United 
States. 

The Box Tortoise ( Cistudo clausa'), Eastern and South¬ 
ern States. 

The Gopher Tortoise {Testudo Carolina ), Southern 
States. 

The Great or Elephant-footed Tortoise ( Testudo 
elephantopus ), of the Galapagos Islands, is represented by a 
pair which, with the other tortoises, are in a compartment of 
the Rabbit Warren. 

The Indian Fruit Bats ( Pteropus rnedius ), known also 
by the name of Rousette Bat and Flying Fox, are temporarily 
kept in this building, although they belong to the mamma¬ 
lian order Cheiroptera. They exist in large numbers in India 
and the neighboring islands, where they grow to a very large 
size, the expanded wings sometimes measuring four or five 
feet from tip to tip. Sir Emerson Tennent gives the follow¬ 
ing account of some of their habits:— 

“ A favorite resort of these bats is to the lofty India-rubber 
trees, which on one side overhang the Botanic Garden of 
Paradenia, in the vicinity of Kandy. Thither for some years 
past they have congregated, chiefly in the autumn, taking 
their departure when the figs of the Ficus elastica are con¬ 
sumed. Here they hang in such prodigious numbers that 
frequently large branches give way beneath their accumulated 
weight. 


68 


“Every forenoon, generally between the hours of 9 and n 
A. M., they take to wing, apparently for exercise, and possi¬ 
bly to sun their wings and fur and dry them after the dews of 
early morning. On these occasions their numbers are quite 
surprising, flying as thick as bees or midges. 

“After these recreations they hurry back to their favorite 
trees, chattering and screaming like monkeys, and always 
wrangling and contending angrily for the most shady and 
comfortable places in which to hang for the rest of the day 
protected from the sun. 

“ The branches they resort to soon become almost divested 
of leaves, these being stripped off by the action of the bats 
attaching and detaching themselves by means of their hooked 
feet. At sunset they fly off to their feeding-grounds, probably 
at a considerable distance, as it requires a large area to furnish 
sufficient food for such multitudes.”— Natural History of Cey¬ 
lon. 

When at rest, the Fruit Bat hangs head downward, by one 
foot, wrapping itself tightly in the folds of its wings. 

The North American Bats belong to the insectivorous 
branch of the order. The most common species in the East¬ 
ern and Middle States are the New York Bat ( Atalapha 
noveboracensis ) and the Little Brown Bat ( Vespertilio subula - 
tus). In spite of the almost universal disgust with which 
they are regarded, they are harmless little beasts, and are of 
great service in destroying numbers of noisome insects. 

Other mammals kept in this building during cold weather 
are the Six-banded Armadillo (Hasypus sex-cinctus) and 
the Nine-banded Armadillo (JDasypus novem-cinctus). The 
armadillos belong to the order Edentata —so called from the 
imperfections of their supply of teeth. They live in the 
warmer portions of the New World, from Texas into South 
America. They burrow in the ground and live on worms and 
insects. 

The order includes, among existing animals, the armadillos, 
sloths, and ant-eaters, of tropical America and Africa. Some 
of the largest of extinct mammals, of which remains have 
been discovered, as Glyptodon , Mylodon, and Megatherium , 
were also Edentates,—the first having been a sort of gigantic 
Armadillo ten feet long. 


6 9 

No. 21.—THE AVIARY. 

Pending the construction of a new Aviary at the south¬ 
eastern end of the Garden, between the Lake and Thirty- 
fifth street drive, the collection of birds will be found much 
crowded. 

The order Passeres , or Perching Birds, is the largest and 
most comprehensive of all the higher groups, and includes 
almost all our songsters. In fact, a very large proportion of 
the smaller birds which are /amiliar in 'our midst][will be 
found classed within its limits. 



The Thrushes are represented here by the Wood Thrush 
(Turdus mustelinus) of America, the Robin ( Turdus migra- 
torius ), the English Blackbird ( Turdus meruld ), the Mock¬ 
ing Bird ( Turdus polyglottus ), the Cat Bird ( Turdus caroli- 
nensis ), and a number of other species. 

The Reed Bird, Rice Bird, or Bobolink (. Dolichonyx 










70 ' 


oryzivorus) is well known to epicures. They migrate in vast 
numbers from south to north at the approach of summer and 
back again towards autumn, at which time they become very 
fat on the ripened seed of the reeds which grow on marsh 
lands along the rivers near the coast, and are shot in great 
numbers as a table delicacy. 

The Long-tailed Weaver Bird (Chera progne). This 
species may be known by the great elongation of the central 
tail-feathers of the male. These reach so great a length that 
a celebrated African traveler says of them :—“1 am informed 
that in the breeding season, when the male has assumed his 
nuptial livery and long tail-feathers, his flight is so labored 
that the children constantly run them down. They are quite 
unable to fly against the wind, and in rainy weather can hardly 
be got to move out of the thick bushes in which, knowing 
their helplessness, they conceal themselves. 

“The Kaffir children stretch bird-limed lines across the 
fields of millet and Kaffir corn, and snare great numbers of 
the males by their tails becoming entangled in the lines.”— 
Layard , “ Birds of South Africa .” 

The Weaver or Whidah Birds are noted for the peculiar 
nests which they weave from grass; these are mostly built on 
the community system, hundreds of the birds constructing 
together a sort of roof under which they separately build their 
nests. These nests are of different shapes, some of them 
much resembling a chemist’s retort, with the neck down, the 
orifice serving as entrance for all the birds whose dwellings 
are within. They are all natives of Africa. 

The Common Mynah (Acridotheres trisiis) and the Brown 
Mynah (.Acridotheres fuscus ) belong to an East Indian group 
allied to the starlings. 

The Magpie {Pica caudata) and Jackdaw (Corvus mone- 
dula), well known by their thievish propensities, are found all 
over Europe ; they belong to the Corvidce or Crows, as do 
the White-backed Piping Crow (Gymnorhina leuconota :) and 
the Butcher Crow (Barita destructor ), both of Australia, 
and the Blue Jay (Cyanurus cristatus) of North America. 

The order Picarice is represented by the woodpeckers, 
kingfishers, cuckoos, toucans, and trogons. 

The Laughing Jackass or Giant Kingfisher (Dacelo gi- 
gantea ) is the largest of the kingfishers, and inhabits Australia. 





7i 



THE LAUGHING JACKASS. 


It differs somewhat in habits from most of the immediate 
group to which it belongs, living in the woods, frequently far 
from water; its diet is also more mixed than is customary 
with its kind, as it eats not only fish, but small quadrupeds, 
birds, and reptiles. 

Its common name is derived from its cry, which has a 
striking resemblance to a hoarse laugh. 

The common kingfisher of our country, which is often 
seen sitting motionless on a branch over the water, watching 
intently for a small fish to pass within its reach, is the Belted 
Kingfisher ( Ceryle alcyon). 

Quite a number of cuckoos are in existence throughout the 
world, very few being natives of America. The Chapparal 
Cock ( Geococcyx c aliform anus), also known as Road Runner, 
from the extraordinary speed with which it runs, and the 
Yellow-billed Cuckoo ( Coccyzus americanus ), belong to this 
family. 

Among the trogons are numbered some of the most beau¬ 
tiful and gorgeous birds of the American fauna. The Cuban 
Trogon (. Prionotelus temnurus ), a richly and highly-colored 
member of the family, will be found in the collection ;—it is 
a very rare bird, the difficulty of keeping them alive making 
them to be one of the most unusual birds met with in a col¬ 
lection. Ramon de la Sagra thus describes its habits in his 
“Histoire de l’lsle de Cuba”:— 

“This Trogon, one of the most splendid members of its 


family, has as yet been met with only in the Island of Cuba, of 
which it is not the least beautiful ornament. Very common in 
the woods, its favorite place of abode, its plaintive song may 
be heard there in the evening, but especially in the morning, 
repeated at lengthened intervals. The first portion of the note 
is highest and longest, and may most readily be imitated with 
a trumpet. It is this habit that has induced the Guaranis of 
Paraguay to say, speaking of another species, that it cries in 
the morning that the sun may rise, and in the evening because 
it is setting. Dwelling alone in the vast woods, it perches 
generally on the lower branches of the trees, and there remains 
immovable for hours at a time, apparently asleep, or, at least, 
insensible to what is going on around it. It is, therefore, 
easily shot, and many are killed for the table, its flesh being very 
good.” There are some fifty species of Trogons found in the 
warm regions of America, India, and Africa. 

The Toco Toucan (Rhamphastos toco). 

Cuvier’s Toucan (.Rhamphastos cuvieri). 

The toucans are found only in tropical America, and will be 
readily recognized by the size and brilliant coloring of their 
bills,—large and unwieldy as these seem to be, they are in re¬ 
ality very light, being entirely filled with a honey-comb of air- 
cells. The plumage is richly colored, and has a peculiar satin¬ 
like softness of texture. The toucans are in a measure carniv¬ 
orous, and often prey upon smaller birds. 

“ Common as these birds are in their native wilds, it is ex¬ 
ceedingly difficult to detect their breeding-places; it is certain 
that they deposit their eggs in the hollow limbs and holes of 
the colossal trees so abundant in the tropical forests, but I was 
never so fortunate as to discover them. * * * * In 

their manners, the Rhamphastida offer some resemblance to 
the Corvidce, and especially to the magpies; like them they 
are very troublesome to the birds of prey, particularly to the 
owls, which they surround and annoy by making a great noise, 
all the while jerking their tails upwards and downwards. The 
flight of these birds is easy and graceful, and they sweep with 
ease over the loftiest trees of their native forest.” (Prince 
Maximilian of Wied.) There are a number of species, beau¬ 
tifully illustrated by Mr. Gould in a “ Monograph of the 
Ramphastidse.” 

The Psittaci, comprising the macaws, parrots, parrakeets, 
and cockatoos, is a large and varied order of birds, found 


73 


throughout tropical America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. 
Among them are some of the most splendid specimens of their 
class; many of them learn to talk and imitate various sounds 
with great facility, and they are much kept as pets. 

The macaws are exclusively American in distribution, and 
have been referred to at page 38. 

The Gray Parrot ( Psittacus erythacus ) and the Timneh 
Parrot ( Psittacus timneh ), from AVest Africa, furnish many of 
the best talkers of the family. 

The most beautiful, perhaps, of all these birds, come from 
the Australian region, where are found a great number of spe¬ 
cies. Among them are Pennant’s Parrakeet ( Platycercus 
pennantii), the Rosehill Parrakeet ( Platycercus eximius ), 
the Pale-headed V&KKA.KRKT(Platycercuspallidiceps), Bauer’s 
Parrakeet (. Platycercus zonarius ), Barnard’s Parrakeet 
(Platycercus barnardi ), Swainson’s Lorikeet ( Tricoglossus 
novce-hollandice) , the Black-tailed Parrakeet ( Polytelis me - 
laments), and the Blood-rumped Parrakeet (. Psephotus 
hcematonotus ). The Zebra or Grass Parrakeet (Afelopsitta- 
cus undulatus ), also from Australia, is one of the most beauti¬ 
ful of these birds,—it is very small, and being of a green color, 
marked with undulating yellowish-white lines, bordered with 
black, it is almost impossible to distinguish it from the grass 
in which it is generally to be found. These little birds differ 
from all the other parrots, in the faculty which they alone 
possess, of uttering a repetition of several notes which might 
almost be termed a song. 

The Ring-necked Parrakeet (. Palceornis torquatus) and 
the Alexandrine Parrakeet (. Palceornis alexandri) are 
very handsome and graceful birds from India. 

The parrots of the New World, as a rule, are not so bril¬ 
liantly colored as those species from the other hemisphere, 
being generally green, with various markings of red, yellow, 
and white. 

Those species which are usually in the collection are the 
Yellow-fronted Amazon ( Chrysotis ochrocephala ), the Yel¬ 
low-cheeked Amazon ( Chrysotis autumnalis ), the Golden- 
naped Amazon ( Chrysotis auripalliata ), the Blue-fronted 
Amazon ( Chrysotis cyanorhynca ), the White-fronted Amazon 


74 


( Chrysotis albifrons ), the Yellow Parrot ( Conurus solstitia- 
lis ), the Brown-throated Parrot ( Conurus csrugiuosus), and 
the White-eared Parrot ( Conurus leucotis). North America 
possesses one species, the Carolina Parrot ( Conurus caroli- 
nensis), which formerly ranged up to North Carolina and Ken¬ 
tucky, but which is now rarely found even in the Gulf States. 

A number of small Parrakeets are also common in South 
America, as the Cayenne Parrakeet ( Brotogerys tuipara ), 
the Yellow-throated Parrakeet (. Brotogerys torn), and the 
Passerine Parrakeet (. Psitiacula passerina ), the latter much 
resembling the Love Birds of Africa. 

The cockatoos are confined to the Australian region. Being 
for the most part large birds of graceful flight, their appear¬ 
ance in large flocks is described as being singularly beautiful. 
The following will be found in this building:— The Slender- 
billed Cockatoo ( Licmetis tenuirostris ), Ducorp’s Cocka¬ 
too ( Cacatua ducorpsi), the Lesser Sulphur-crested Cocka¬ 
too ( Cacatua sulphured ), the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo 
{Cacatua galerita), the Roseate Cockatoo {Cacatua roseica- 
pilla ), Leadbeater’s Cockatoo {Cacatua leadbeaterii), and 
the Rose-crested Cockatoo {Cacatua moluccensis). These 
birds are said to live to a great age,—a specimen of the last- 
named species, on a perch on the west side of the building, 
being supposed to be over eighty years old. 

The Crested Grass Parrakeet ( Calopsitta novce-hollandicz ) 
is a very beautiful bird from Australia, living in hollow trees. 
Unlike most of its order, it breeds with some facility in con¬ 
finement, when afforded proper accommodations. 

The order Columba , comprising the pigeons and doves, and 
which also included the now extinct Dodo {Didus ineptus ), 
is a very extensive group, containing some three hundred spe¬ 
cies, more than one-third of which are natives of the Malayan 
Archipelago, the remainder being distributed over the world. 
A large number of species are indigenous to North America, 
many of which have been exhibited at the Garden ; of these, 
the following are usually on hand :— 

The White-crowned Pigeon {Columba leucocephela ), 
Southern United States and West Indies. 

The Cuban Pigeon {Columba inornata), West Indies. 

The Common Wild Pigeon {Ectopistes migratorius), North 
America. 



75 


The Blue-headed Pigeon (Starncenas cyanocephala ), 
Southern United States and West Indies. 

The Carolina Dove ( Zencedura carolinensis ), North Amer¬ 
ica. 

The Zenaida Dove ( Zenaida amabilis ), West Indies. 

The Key West Dove ( Geotrygon martinica ), Southern 
United States and West Indies. 

These birds are all more or less common in the regions 
where they are found. The Common Wild Pigeon is migra¬ 
tory in its habit, and travels in enormous flocks of many mil¬ 
lions. They may be seen in some parts of the west, during 
their annual migration, covering acres of trees at night, when 
roosting. 

Many of the pigeons from the Malayan Islands, where 
is the great home of the order, are of striking beauty. Among 
them are the Blood-Breasted Pigeon ( Phlogoenas cruentata ), 
of the Philippine Islands; the Bronze-winged Pigeon ( Phaps 
chalcoptera ), of Australia, and the GouRAor Crowned Pigeon 
( Goura coronata ), of New Guinea. 



THE CROWNED PIGEON. 


This superb bird is as large as a guinea-fowl, and has the 
top of its head surmounted by a beautiful crest of radiating 
feathers. It readily bears the winters of France and England, 
and has frequently laid eggs, which in many cases have been 
hatched, in both of those countries. 



76 


The Barbary Turtle Dove ( Turtur risorius ); the Half- 
collared Dove ( Turtur semi-torquatus ), of Africa; the 
Barred Dove ( Geopelia striata) ; and the Ground Dove, 
of the southern United States and the West Indies {Cham- 
cepeleia passerina), belong also to this group. 

The order Gallince includes the guinea, turkey, curassow, 
guan, pheasant, and partridge, and contains a large proportion 
of those birds which are known as “game birds,” alike es¬ 
teemed by the sportsman and the gourmand. They are mainly 
terrestrial birds. Some of them roost in trees, but during the 
daytime live on the ground. 

The curassows and guans belong exclusively to America, 
ranging from Mexico across the Isthmus of Panama down to 
the southern part of Brazil. They are large birds, living on 
fruits and seeds, and are said to be very well adapted for the 
table. They do not, however, breed with any facility in this 
latitude. Among them are— 

The Crested Curassow ( Crax alector ), Guiana. 

Daubenton’s Curassow ( Crax daubentoni ), Central 
America. 

The Globose Curassow {Crax globic era), Central America. 

Yarrell’s Curassow ( Crax carunculata ), Brazil. 

The Razor-billed Curassow ( Mitua tuberosa ), Brazil. 

The Galeated Curassow {Pauxigaleata) , South America. 

Greey’s Guan {Penelope greeyi), New Granada. 

The White-fronted Guan ( Penelope jacucaca), Brazil. 

The Red-breasted Guan {Penelopepileata), Brazil. 

The Motmot Guan {Ortalida motmot), Guiana. 

The Wild Turkey {Afeleagris gallopavo) of North America; 
the Guinea-fowl {Numida meleagris ), originally from Africa, 
but now domesticated all over the world ; the Vulturine 
Guinea-fowl {Numida vulturina ), an exceedingly rare and 
beautiful species from Eastern Africa; the Common PeaFowl 
{Pavo cristata ), native to India, but, like the Guinea, 
naturalized everywhere; and the Javan Pea Fowl {Pavo 
muticus ), from Java and the Malay Peninsula, distinguished 
from the foregoing by the peculiar shape of the plumes on the 
head, and by the rich green color on the breast—all belong 
to the group of Pheasants {Phasianidce ). 


77 


Sir Emerson Tennent states that the Common Pea Fowl 
abounds to such an extent in the Island of Ceylon that its 
harsh cries at early morning are a great source of annoyance 
to the inhabitants. He also adds that the bird, as known in 
its domesticated state in other countries, gives but a very in¬ 
adequate idea of its size and magnificence when seen in its 
native forests. 

The true pheasants are indigenous to Asia and its islands; 
but the matchless beauty of their plumage, and the delicate 
quality of their flesh, have caused some of them to be largely 
introduced into Europe. The bird now known as the Eng¬ 
lish Pheasant (. Phasianus colchicus ) originally came from 
western Asia, and is believed to have been introduced into. 
England about the close of the tenth century. It has long; 
been perfectly naturalized, and is one of the most beautiful of 
the family. The Ring-necked Pheasant ( Phasianus torqua- 
tus ) has also long been domesticated in England, and bred 
largely with the Common Pheasant; most of the birds known 
as Ring-necked Pheasants are the result of such a cross, in- 
which the first-named bird seems to preponderate, the hybrids 
differing little in appearance from the original stock. Many 
of the pheasants have those feathers which lie immediately 
around the base of the tail—known as the upper tail coverts— 
immensely elongated, forming a large fan, like the train of the 
peacock, which they have the power to erect at will, thus ex¬ 
posing a surface of brilliant and beautiful coloring, which in 
many species is without parallel in the animal kingdom. 
These plumes are developed to this extent only in the males, 
and from the fact of their being displayed frequently in the 
presence of the female during the breeding season, it is 
supposed that they play an important part in attracting her at 
this period. 

The Silver Pheasant (. Euplocamus nycthemerus ) and the 
Golden Pheasant ( Thaumalea picta ) are natives of China, 
but have largely been acclimated elsewhere. 

The Grouse are an allied group, generally distributed 
throughout the northern hemisphere. A number of them 
are natives of America, where they are commonly, though 
erroneously, called Pheasant. 

The Ruffed Grouse ( Bonasa umbellus ) and the Pinnated 
Grouse or Prairie Chicken ( Cupidonia cupido ) are two of 
the best known species. 


78 


There is much confusion still existing among naturalists as to 
the relationships which should properly be recognized between 
the partridges found on the opposite sides of the Atlantic,— 
some holding them to be distinct sub-groups, while others 
claim that the differences are not susceptible of definition to 
the extent of warranting a separation. 

Our well-known Common Partridge, or Quail, as it is 
frequently called ( Ortyx virginianus), is the most widely-dis¬ 
tributed species in North America, and has several marked 
varieties in the south-west and in Cuba. The female is lighter 
in color than the male, and has the buff of the neck replaced 
by white. 

On the Pacific coast several genera have the head beauti¬ 
fully ornamented with plumes of feathers rising in various 
shapes. Examples of this form are the Plumed or Mountain 
Partridge, ( Oreortyx pictus ), and the members of the genus 
Lophortyx from Arizona and California. 

The domestic fowl is the most widely-distributed member 
of the Gallince, being spread in various breeds over the whole 
world. The progenitor of this invaluable bird is supposed to 
be the wild Bankiva Cock ( Gallus bankiva ), which is a native 
of India. 

There are several species of Tinamous in South America, 
one of which, the Cinereous Tinamou ( Tinamus cinereus ) 
may be seen in the collection. These birds present some peculi¬ 
arities of structure so strongly marked that they have been 
placed in an order, Crypturi , by themselves. Mr. Darwin, 
speaking of the Tinamou in “The Zoology of the Voyage of 
the Beagle,” states that it approximates somewhat to the hab¬ 
its of the grouse, but that it rarely rises from the ground, and 
may be readily caught by a stick having a noose at the end. 

The order Steganopodes is composed of birds having all four 
toes fully connected by webs. They all have a more or less 
developed throat pouch; live upon fish, which they follow and 
catch in its native element, and are rarely found far from 
the sea-coast. Among the American representatives of the 
group which are usually to be found here, are the Common 
Gannet {Sula bassana ) and the Booby Gannet {Sula fiber), 
found along the Atlantic coast, the latter rarely ranging as 
high as the Middle States; the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus 
fuscus ), indigenous to the Southern States ; and the Common 


79 


Cormorant ( Graculus car bo), which ranges along the Atlan¬ 
tic coast from Labrador southward. 

The strange-looking bird of this order, which is kept in the 
fountain basin in the Aviary, is the Darter or Water Tur¬ 
key (Plotus anhinga). They are natives of the most impene¬ 
trable swamps of the Gulf States, and are so difficult of ap¬ 
proach that their capture alive is an event of great rarity. 
They commonly perch on a branch closely overhanging the 
surface, and on the least alarm drop noiselessly into the 
water and swim away unnoticed. Nuttall says of this bird :— 
“Its long and dark serpentine neck and small head, vi¬ 
brating backward and forward, present entirely the appear¬ 
ance of a snake, whether seen through the foliage of a tree, 
or emerging from the still and sluggish stream in which it 
often swims, with the body wholly immersed to the neck, 
and on being approached or startled, even that is instantly 
withdrawn, and sweeping beneath the flood in perfect silence, 
we at length see it again rise at a distance which defies ap¬ 
proach.” The specimen in the Garden was captured when 
very young, but has thriven remarkably well, considering the 
entire change of condition to which it has been subjected. 

There are three or four allied species in Asia, Africa, and 
Australia. 

The Common Trumpeter ( Psophia crepitans), Guiana. 

The Cayenne Rail ( Aramides cayennensis) South America 
and West Indies. 

The Carolina Rail (Porzana Carolina ), North America. 

The Sickle-billed Curlew (. Numenius longirostris), North 
America. 

The Clapper Rail (. Rallus longirostris), Eastern United 
States. 

The Florida Gallinule {Gallinula galeata), Gulf States. 

The Martinique Water Hen ( Porphyrio martinica), 
Southern United States and West Indies. 

The Black-backed Porphyrio ( Porphyrio melanotus ), Aus¬ 
tralia. 

The Hyacinthine Porphyrio ( Porphyrio hyacinthinus), 
Europe and Asia. 

The Common Coot ( Fulica americana), North America, and 
the American Woodcock (JPhilohela minor), Eastern United 


8o 


States, all belong to the order Grallatorcs or Wading Birds.. 
They live along the borders of water-courses and streams, 
from which they pick out the small fishes, insects, and worms 
which serve them as food. 


No. 22.—THE PRAIRIE-DOG VILLAGE. 

The Prairie Marmot (Cynomes ludovicianus ), otherwise 
known as “ Prairie Dog,” is a small, burrowing rodent, much 
resembling the spermophiles, which are common throughout 
the western part of the United States. 



THE PRAIRIE-DOG VILLAGE. 


They are found in immense numbers over the expanse of open 
country between the Missouri river and the Rocky moun¬ 
tains—the villages formed by them sometimes occupying miles 
of country, which is completely honey-combed with their bur¬ 
rows ; they dig to a considerable depth, those in the Garden 
having burrowed under a wall fourteen feet deep; they were 
overcrowded, however, and in a state of nature, with room to 
stretch out their villages on every side, it is not probable that 
they dig so deeply. The dogs are found in close association 
with the burrowing owl and the rattlesnake, which has given 
rise to the supposition that they all live together on terms of 

















8i 


intimacy and friendship. This is far from being the case, 
however, the evidence going to prove that the snake invades 
the home of the dog for the purpose of feeding upon the 
young, while the owl—to save itself the trouble of digging 
its own habitation—takes possession of the deserted burrows 
which are left in the gradual change of location which is 
continually going on among the dogs. Strong evidence was 
given of a natural enmity existing between the two, by the 
introduction of a pair of the owls into the enclosure of the 
dogs at the Garden,—they were instantly attacked by the lat¬ 
ter, and as their wings had been clipped, they were unable to 
get away, and although they fought desperately were finally 
killed. 

A small colony of the Burrowing Owls ( Spheotyto cunicul- 
aria hypogcea) is on the side of the walk directly opposite the 
Prairie Dogs. They are found on the plains west of the Mis¬ 
sissippi river and also in South America,—this bird being a 
variety of the South American form. 

Next to the Owls is a cage containing some Striped Goph¬ 
ers ( Spertnophilus tridecem-lineatus). The spermophiles form 
a large sub-group of the squirrel family : they live in burrows 
in the ground, but are directly connected with the tree squirrels 
by almost insensible gradations of form, one of which, the 
Line-tailed or Mexican Rock Squirrel (Spermophilus gram- 
inurus ), will be seen in a cage in the Carnivora House. It is 
difficult to distinguish this species, without close examination, 
from the true squirrels, which live in trees. The Striped Go¬ 
pher is found from western Michigan to the Missouri river 
and south to Arkansas. 

Richardson’s Spermophile (Spermophilusrichardsonii ), the 
Gray Gopher (Spermophilus franklinii), and the Pouched 
Gopher ( Geomys bursarius') are also North American forms. 

The Common Skunk (Mephitis mephitica) is a small carni¬ 
vore belonging to the Musteline group; it inhabits the United 
States from the Missouri river eastward,—the western and 
south-western parts of the country being infested by several 
other species, one of which ranges into South America. The 
true skunks are confined to the New World ; in them the anal 
glands characteristic of all the Mustelidce reach their most 
complete development, and secrete a fluid which the animal 


32 


can eject at will to a distance of several feet, and which pos¬ 
sesses an odor at once the most powerful and intolerable of 
any known animal secretion. The fur of the skunk is very 
long and fine, and is much worn under the euphonious desig¬ 
nation of “ Alaska Sable.” 

The American Badger ( Taxidea americana) belongs to the 
same group as the skunk; it lives in burrows, which it exca¬ 
vates with its powerful claws, and is found through the western 
United States up to about latitude fifty-eight degrees in Brit¬ 
ish America, though it is seldom seen east of the Missouri 
river; southward it is replaced by a well-marked variety ( ber - 
landieri). The Badger of Europe (. Meles taxus ) is a nearly 
allied form. 

Among the true squirrels ( Sciuridce) of North America, 
those generally to be found in the collection are the South¬ 
ern Fox Squirrel ( Sciurus niger ) of the Gulf States; the 
Northern Fox Squirrel ( Sciurus niger cinereus ), from New 
Jersey to Virginia; the Gray Squirrel ( Sciurus caro linen sis')] 
United States east of the Missouri river, and the Red Squirrel 
(Sciurus hudsonius ), which ranges from British America to 
the Gulf States. 

The Gray Squirrel is subject to much variation, the Black 
as well as the White Squirrel belonging to this species. 

Several specimens of the pretty little European Red Squirrel 
(Sciurus vulgaris ) are kept in a small cage in the western wing 
of the Carnivora House. 


No. 23.—THE PHOTOGRAPH STAND 

Will be passed on the right of the walk on the way out, close 
by the Monkey House. Photographs of many of the animals 
in the collection can be purchased here at very moderate 
prices. 


No. 24.—THE SUN-DIAL 

Points out the time of day at Philadelphia and at numerous 
other points on the earth’s surface. 




UsTIDIEIX 




PAGfc 


ACOUCHY,.14 

ADDER. 

Spreading,.64 

ADJUTANT,.46 

AGOUTI. 

Golden,.14 

Olive.. 

ALLIGATOR,. 53 

AMAZON. 

Blue-fronted,.73 

Golden-naped,.73 

White-fronted,.73 

Yellow-cheeked,.73 

Yellow-fronted,.73 

AMBLYSTOMA,.62 

ANTELOPE. 

Prong-horned,.60 

AOUDAD,. 43 

APE. 

Black,.20 

ARMADILLO. 

Nine-banded,.68 

Six-banded,.68 

AVIARY,.69 

BABOON. 

Anubis,.20 

Chacma,.20 

Drill,.20 

Guinea,.20 

Mandrill,.20 

BADGER. 

American,.82 

European,.82 

BASSARIS. 

Ring-tailed,.. 

BAT. 

Fruit,.67 

Little Brown,.68 

New York,.68 

BEAR. 

Black,.23 

Bornean Sun,.14 

Brown,.23 

Cinnamon,.23 

Grizzly,.23 

Himalayan,.14 

Polar,. 45 

White,. *5 

BEAVER. 

American,.22 


BISON. 

BITTERN. 

Common,. 

Least,. 

BLACKBIRD, .... 
BOA-CONSTRICTOR, 
BOA. 

Tree,. 

BOAR. 

Wild. 

BOBOLINK,. 

BUFFALO. 

American,. 

BUZZARD. 

Caracara,. 

Red-shouldered, . . 

Red-tailed,. 

Rough-legged, . . . 

CAMEL. 

Bactrian,. 

Common,. 

CAPROMYS,. 

CAPUCIN. 

Brown,. 

Weeper,. 

White-throated, . . 

CAPYBARA,. 

CARIBOU,. 

CARNIVORA HOUSE, 
CASSOWARY, .... 
CAT. 

Palm,. 

Wild,. 

CAT BIRD,. 

CATTLE PENS, . . . 
CAVY. 

Spotted,. 

CAYOTE. 

CHAMELEON, .... 

CHEETAH,. 

CHIMPANZEE, . . . 
CIVET. 

Indian, . 

COATI,. 

COCKATOO. 

Ducorp's,. 

Leadbeater’s, .... 
Lesser Sulphur-crested 

Roseate, . 

Rose-crested,. 



















































































8 4 



PAGE 

COCKATOO. 

Slender-billed,. 

. ... 74 

Sulphur-crested, .... 

. ... 74 

CONDOR,. 


CORMORANT. 

Common,. 

• ... 78 

COUGUAR,. 


COYPU,.• . . . 


CRANE. 

Australian,. 


Sandhill,. 


Whooping. 

. . . . 52 

CROCODILE, . 


CROW. 

Butcher,.. 


Common,. 


Piping, . 

CUCKOO. 


Yellow-billed,. 


CURASSOW. 

Crested,. 


Daubenton’s,. 

. ... 76 

Galeated,. 


Globose, . 


Razor-billed,. 

. ... 76 

Yarrell’s,. 

. . . . 76 

CURLEW. 

Sickle-billed,. 

. ... 79 

DARTER. 


DEER HOUSE,. 

• ••• 40 

DEER PARK,. 

. ... 48 

DEER. 

Axis,. 


Fallow,. 


Mazame,. 


Mule,. 


Sambur,. 


Virginia,. 

• ... 48 

White-tailed,. 


DINGO,. 

. ... 59 

DOUROUCOUL 1 , .... 


DOVE. 

Barbary Turtle, .... 

. ... 76 

Barred,. 

. ... 76 

Carolina,. 


Ground,. 


Half-collared,. 

. ... 76 

Key West,. 

• • • • 75 

Zenaida,. 


DUCK. 

American Widgeon, . . 


Black, . 

• ... 46 

Canvas-backed, .... 


Dusky,. 


Eider,. 

. ... 46 

European Widgeon, . . 


Little Black-headed, . . 

. ... 46 

Mandarin,. 


Pintail,. 


Red-billed Tree, .... 


Red-headed,. 


Summer,. 


White-faced Tree, . . . 


Wood,. 


EAGLE. 

Bald,. 




PAGE 

EAGLE. 

Golden,.. . . . 


Spotted, . 


EAGLE AVIARY,. 

... 28 

EGRET. 

Great White,. 


ELAND. 


ELEPHANT. 

African,. 

... 34 

Indian, . 


ELEPHANT-HOUSE, . . . 


ELK. 

American,. 


EMU,. 


FALCON. 

Lanier’s,. 

. . . 28 

FISHER,. 


FOWL. 

Domestic,. 

... 78 

Gui nea,. 

... 76 

Pea,. 

... 76 

FOX. 

Arctic,. 

... 57 

Azara’s, . 


Cross,. 


Gray,. 


Kit,. 

... 57 

Red,. 

. . • 57 

Silver,. 


Swift,. 


FROG. 

Brook, . 


Bull,. 


Shad, . 


Swamp,. 


GALAGO. 

Grand. 


GALLINULE. 

Florida,. 


GAN NET. 

Booby,. 


Common,.. . . 

... 78 

GAZELLE. 

Dorcas,. 


GIRAFFE,. 


GLASS SNAKE. 

American,. 

... 66 

Dalmatian,. 


GNU. 

Brindled,. 


GOAT. 

Cashmere, 


GOOSE. 

Bar-headed,. 


Brant,. 


Canada,. 


Chinese,. 


Magpie,. 


White-fronted,. 


GOPHER. 

Gray,. 


Pouched,. 

... 81 

Striped,. 

. . . 81 

GOSHAWK. 

White,. 


GREENFIOUSE,. 














































































































8 5 


PAGE 


GROUND HOG,.47 

GROUSE. 

Pinnated,.77 


GUAN. 


Greey’s, • •. 


Motmot,. 


Red-breasted, .... 


White-fronted,. 


GUINEA-FOWL. 


Common,. 


Vulturine,. 


GULL. 


Great Black-backed, . . . 


Jaeger,. 


Laughing,. 


HARE. 


Common,. 


Gray,. 


Jackass, . 


HAWK. 


Cooper's,. 


Duck,. 


Pigeon, . 

. . . 28 

Sparrow,. 


HELL BENDER,. 


HERON. 


Great Blue, .. 


Little Blue,. 


Night,. 


HOG. 


Wart,... . . . 


HUANACO,. 

. • 49 

HYAENA. 


Spotted,. 

. . 13 

Striped,. 

. • 13 

IBIS. 


Scarlet, .... . 


White,. 


Wood,. 


ICHNEUMON. 


Dusty,. 


Gray, . 


IGUANA,. 

. . 66 

TACKDAW,. 


JAGUAR,. 


JAY. 


Blue, ... . 

. . 70 

KANGAROO. 


Great,. 


Red,. 


Rufous Rat,. 


KINGFISHER. 


Belted,. 


Giant,. 


KITE. 


Brahminy,.. . . 

. . 29 

LAKE,. 


LAUGHING JACKASS, . . . 

. , 70 

LEMUR,. 





PAGE 

LEOPARD. 

Black,.10 

Common,.10 

Hunting,.10 

Javan,.10 

LION. 

African,. 8 

Mountain,.12 

LIZARD. 

Brown,.66 

Six-lined,.66 

Striped,.66 

LLAMA,.49 

LORIKEET. 

Swainson’s,.73 

LYNX. 

American,.48 

Canada,.48 

MACAQUE. 

Ashy-black,.20 

Bonnet,.20 

Common,.20 

Moor,.20 

Pig-tailed,.20 

Rhesus,._. . .20 

Toque,.' .... 20 

MACAW. 

Blue and Yellow,.39 

Red and Blue,.38 

Red and Yellow,.38 

MAGPIE.70 

MANGABEY,.20 

MARMOSET. 

Black-eared,.21 

Common,.21 

MARMOT. 

Prairie,.80 

MARTEN. 

Pennant’s,.27 

MENOBRANCHUS, .62 

MINK. 

Brown,.26 

MOCCASIN. 

Water,.63 

MOCKING-BIRD, . 69 

MONKEY. 

Black-handed Spider,.21 

Black Spider,.21 

Diana,.20 

Entellus,.19 

Green,.20 

Lesser White-nosed,.20 

Marimonda,.21 

Mozambique,.20 

Patas,.20 

Pinche,.21 

Red,.20 

Sacred,.19 

Squirrel,.21 

Vervet,.20 

MONKEY-HOUSE,.16 

MOOSE,.50 

MUD-DEVIL,.62 

MUSIC STAND,.48 

MUSKRAT.27 




































































































86 


PAGE 

MYNAH. 

Brown, .70 

Common,.70 

NATIVE COMPANION,.52 

NEWT. 

Black,.62 

OCELOT, . . ..12 

OPOSSUM. 

Common,. 25 

ORANG-UTAN,.18 

ORYX.41 

OSTRICH,.41 

OTTER. 

American,.26 

OWL. 

Barn,.28 

Barred,.28 

Burrowing,. 81 

Great-Horned, ..28 

Javan Fish,.28 

Screech,.28 

Short-eared,.28 

Snowy,.28 


14 

11 

10 


13 

73 

73 

73 

73 

73 

74 
74 

73 

74 
73 
73 

73 

74 

73 

74 
74 
73 

73 

74 
74 

78 

78 

78 

76 

76 

3i 

33 

78 


PACA. 

PANTHER. 

American, . . . . 

Spotted. 

PARADOXURE. 

Common. 

PARRAKEET. 

Alexandrine, . . . 
Barnard’s, . . . . 

Bauer’s,. 

Black-tailed, . . . 
Blood-rumped, . . 
Cayenne, . . . . 
Crested Grass, . . 
Pale-headed, . . . 
Passerine, . . . . 
Pennant’s, . . . . 
Ring-necked,, . . 

Rosehill,. 

Yellow-throated, . 
Zebra Grass, . . . 
PARROT. 

Brown-throated, . 
Carolina, . . . . 

Gray,. 

Timneh,. 

White-eared, . . . 

Yellow,. 

PARTRIDGE. 

Common, . . . . 
Mountain, . . . . 

Plumed,. 

PEA-FOWL. 

Common, . . . . 



Collared, . . 
White-lipped, 
PELICAN. 

Brown, . . 


PAGE 

PETREL. 

Fulmar,.53 

PHALANGER. 

Vulpine.15 

Yellow-bellied,.15 

PHEASANT. 

English,.77 

Golden,.77 

Ring-necked,.77 

Silver,.77 

PHOTOGRAPH STAND, .... 82 
PIGEON. 

Blood-breasted,.75 

Blue-headed,.74 

Bronze-winged, .. 75 

Crowned,. 75 

Cuban,.74 

Goura,. 75 

White-crowned,.74 

Wild.74 

PORCUPINE. 

African,.r4 

Javan,.14 

White-haired,.14 

Yellow-haired,.14 

PORPHYRIO. 

Black-backed,.79 

Hyacinthine,.79 

PRAT R 1 E-CHICKEN,.77 

PRAIRIE-DOG,.77 

PROTEUS,.62 

PUMA,.12 


QUAIL. 

Common,.78 

RABBIT,.47 

RABBIT WARREN,.47 

RACCOON. 

Common,.26 

RAIL. 

Carolina,.79 

Cayenne, .79 

Clapper,.79 

RATTLESNAKE. 

Banded,.63 

Diamond,. 63 

Ground,.63 

Prairie,.63 

Say’s,.63 

RAVEN.27 

REED-BIRD,.69 

REPTILE HOUSE, . .'.61 

RESTAURANT,.30 

RHINOCEROS. 

Indian.35 

RICE-BIRD.69 

ROAD-RUNNER,.71 

ROBIN,.69 

SALAMANDER. 

Red,. 62 

Red-backed,.62 

Two-lined,.62 

SEAL. 

Common,.26 







































































































87 


PAGE 

SEAL. 

Gillespie’s Hair, . . . . 


SEA-LION. 

Northern,. 


SECRETARY BIRD. . . . 


SHEER. 

Yemen,. 


SIREN. 


SKUNK. 

Common,. 

. . . . 81 

SNAKE. 

Black, . 

.... 64 

Chain,. 

Chicken,. 



Copperhead, . 


Corn,. 


Fox's Black,. 


Garter, . 

.... 64 

Green,. 

Harlequin, ....... 

Hog-nosed,. 


.... 64 

.... 64 

King,. 


Milk, .. 


Moccasin,. 

.... 63 

Mountain Black, ... 

.... 64 

Pine, . 


Rainbow,. 


Rattle,. 


Ribbon,. 

.... 64 

Water,. 

.... 64 

Whip, . . .•. 


“SOLITUDE,”. 


SPERMOPHILE. 

Richardson’s,. 

... 81 

Thirteen-lined, .... 

.... 81 

SQUIRREL. 

Black, . 

.... 82 

European,. 

.82 

Flying. 


Fox,. 


Gray,.. 


Line-tailed, . 

.... 81 

Mexican Rock,. 

.... 81 

Red,. 


White,. 

.... 82 

STORK. 

Adjutant,. 


Saddle-billed,. 


White,. 


SUN-DIAL,. 


SWAN. 

Black, . 


Mute,. 


Whistling,. 

• • • • 45 

SWINE. 

Javan, . 


TAPIR. 

Saddle-backed,. 

... 38 

South American, .... 

.... 38 

TERRAPIN. 

Checkered,. 


Chicken,. 


Florida,. 



PAGE 

TERRAPIN. 

Mud,. 


Muhlenberg’s,. 

.... 66 

Musk,. 

.... 66 

Red-bellied,. 


Salt-water,.. . 


Snapper. 

.... 66 

Speckled, ...... 


THRUSH. 

Wood,. 


TIGER. 


TINAMOU,. 

.... 78 

TOAD. 

Common,. 


Horned. 


TORTOISE. 

Blanding's,. 

.... 67 

Box,. 


Elephant-footed, . . . . 

.... 67 

Gopher,. 

.... 67 

TOUCAN. 

Cuvier’s,. 


Toco,. 


TROGON. 

Cuban,. 


TRUMPETER. 


TURKEY. 

Wild. 


TURTLE. 

Green,. 

.... 66 

Leather-backed, . . . . 

.... 66 

Soft-shelled,. 

.... 66 

VICUNA,. 


VULTURE. 

Black, ......... 


Cinereous, . . . • . . . 

.... 28 

Condor,. 


Griffon,. 


King,. 

.... 28 

Secretary, . 


Turkey, . 

.... 28 

WALLABY. 

Bennett's,. 


Derbian,. 


WAPITI,. 

■ ... 54 

WATER HEN. 

Martinique,. 

WATER TURKEY, . . . . 

.... 79 


WEAVER BIRD. 

Long-tailed,. 

.... 70 

WILDCAT. 

.... 48 

WOLF. 

Common,. 


Great Gray,. 

.... 58 

Prairie. 

.... 58 

WOODCHUCK. 

.... 47 

WOODCOCK, 

.... 79 

YAK,. 


ZEBRA. 

Burchell’s,. 

.... 34 

ZEBU, . 






























































































































































9 
































































*■ 


V 
























MEANS AND WAYS OF CONVEYANCE TO AND 
FROM THE GARDEN OR NEAREST POINTS. 


CITY PASSENGER RAILWAYS. 

1. Girard Avenue, via the Girard Avenue Bridge, leading 
direct to the northern gate. 

2. Arch Street, via Spring Garden Bridge, to Thirty-fifth 
Street, thence north direct to the southern gate. 

3. Race and Vine Streets, same route. 

4. Spruce and Pine Streets, to the Green Street entrance 
of the East Park, thence a pleasant walk via River Road and 
Girard Avenue Bridge. 

5. Union Line, via Brown Street entrance East Park. 

6. Green Street and Fairmount Avenue Line, direct to 
Fairmount Avenue entrance East Park. 

7. Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, direct to Brown 
Street entrance East Park. 

STEAMBOATS. 

Pleasant and commodious Steamers ply on the Schuylkill, 
leaving Fairmount every thirty minutes, landing and taking 
on passengers at the Garden, within a few yards of the north¬ 
ern gate. 

FERRY-BOATS. 

Visitors preferring to cross the river by this means will 
always find at the turn of the river road, north of the boat¬ 
houses, a safe boat to carry them over, landing them at the 
southern gate. 

CARRIAGES. 

From the carriage stand, East Park, direct to either gate. 



THE GARDEN 

Is open to visitors every day, from 9 A. M. until half an 
hour before sunset; those who are in the Garden at that time 
will be permitted to remain until the bell rings at sunset. 


PRICES OF ADMISSION. 


Adults ,. 25 cents. 

Children under 12 years, .... 10 “ 

Package of 9 Adult tickets , . . . $2 00 

Package of 11 Children’s tickets , . . 1 00 
































































































































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UBR* bY 



